








o * h 



A- Q. v Ql 

L r O S) * 

S' o A? ^ 

* ^ t 

L C *t<* A * 

• 

i>^ * 


■ 1 *>6* * 

o .4 ^ . 


*• V , 

• %* A * 

J: J \ v w> - v - ... 

\ *V ‘.f.V .&* ^ ^T> a <x '»•** 

? ( y ,^*., ^o o ^ y'Jpi: \ 

f£$$£*< ’’W "ov^ ^ o< 



r o ♦ 


O' .O 

w ^ a 

; * 0 ^ L 

v • **•* <%<> -&P sZtmZ?* * 

V %/ .’igfe: = ^‘ 

a* blSf; /%. -$8^ / ,u \ • 

ky • t,# * ^ ,<y c°^®% °o 

^ > t ^f7r^JL, ■»' Vjr * ^CX\Vv^ * ^ 




“b- 


* * i “V 


«v°* c* 


A^v o 


* y # s * A v 

V J# *-^v ■** c ° v .^% 

* ‘ ^ : 


V 
* ’ 


Ut »■ v*j 

.0 < ^<$> > . * © * ° 

* > V v , 

a ^ vr v * ^ 

v •* A •* ^Iim J 

*,'••*’* A° % ™ 

% (f sJ&Ly °o j 


’. ’’b V* 

„* X 0 ^ 

•:\ y..;-- 

”, ^ v 

: V v<^ o% 

<}V .^»r,* 4^ ^ . 

,*o 0 J> r^, \ 

\ v oV i *+ 

\* >P ^ 

♦->'/ V'‘ 

.<y ^ v %> 


• % £ ' 

- v^ v :, 

p y. •. 




^ ® A ^ 

* <*> ,j 0 > • ^ 

^ -* ' 

,.0^ o ° N 0 ♦ ^b 

• ^ 0 ^ 


^< 2 c 


*r ^o 
A 

\ „ t * o A D i»J 

* rHXW/hy A * 


* ^k/v/\)3K ± f\ \k, vo^yVvvS^ ^ 5v O Z*tyJlr£> * r\ 

u W* >° .. v y T .. v^ 

%./ ••»•• ijmSf i‘ 


&<u 



o 

/ A °o * 7 ^*** A 

k ^ 0 f 



8 ^ ^ 

V\ v 5 

.‘b OV - 1 

1/ \iv „ A ^ 

. K < fl/ ti* J 

, ^,^7^ A ^ ^o * * ^ ,0 O 

i /« x£. (A fc ° M ® -* '^o 

°o y Sx/rfo,- %■ g °. a 

» 0 f "mlb?* *+* * #< ^fe* 




y .• 1 ■•., 

jv A / y>3_ V 



rt 

4 



I v 


'of 


y* »* ■* a, 




■ S 0\ 


F V r 

, r ^ . — .. * « 0 > ** * • *" .\, r Vi 

° 0 ^ yJjmL*. \ 


*.R3.*_ .. _ , 

o 

A^**^* ° wy/ gjs X'yj' ^ s.-, 

o a- - ^ 

W :§m>': >o*' : 
i? - v VliyisX* Y 1 ^ ”* 

0° °° 

*VVL> -> V s . 

r>/V » SSsXSJ/A, ° u ,’n«, 

•v^vv , > v ^ - 

O • a '' 4 


* ° 
if 

<• 

F o ‘.W 5 * 0 -V 

V "’ 0 *° ,.., < 

C\ av 

V/ fo\ ***& ' 

- ^ V«* 





O • * 


* ^bV 




++0* 


-c 

* H q. 


0 A' ^ 



*., 1 * A° ^ * » « 0 

,<y V V * * • <v 


V ,.* 

V & '* 

, w : 

• cf? ■» 

4 <f? °2> • 

• is ^ * ^-o> ^ "V'W^* 

0 * V o * o * ~«fe <& •«■'-„ c 0^ ‘!r^% \ «fc 




af tv *‘»t*',f Pi'' 

o, v CV * * , i • aO 

/ C* aV *Lx)k^ 


• ^ i A^‘ ^ 

<* cv * 

° V v’ 

. oV* 1 

* 4 T A* •>, 

, - ,P A' *<, <G V V ^TT** A <* '»•»* 

o ” .•’•JV.a ^ 0° °o ^ yJ/rftL' % c 

°o ^ >wa^, v, .t *-^nv. ^ .V 



<>* 

CJ V 



A° V'‘»»»’ ^ 

| $ V ^ V • «* 

• ^ •• 




» -a v V- % 

. -.-‘a 6 ^ ' 

<£ (V r ° " 0 

*%, o 0 ,-Vjv/, -o 


O <■ ■* r\s ■*’* 

O, ".o' A 0 ^ 

<*o a 0 ^ * 5 **% ^ 

;* V c^ - v ^ 



• ^ A* ^ 

: vv 


° ^& 
* A v V 


O » A 



v*<y 



^ ^ ^ • 5 A\ ■» i 

„ ^ 0 4 ? r 1 ' 9 * ' (5 + c 0 ,o 

■Y '*' &<{t77?2? ~ T. 

- V A *• 
o V 



•, ^d» f 



•>b v 


<. o * jP ^v „. <zsyy/i\)2P * ^ 

^ °O a ^ ^o.o’* 0< ^ * # # 1 * * 0 ^ s'*' 

»' «-!» * < 1 aV - • * . V>. . \ y -<*o- O. .^J «, s 

V'*' . » • O- <!> \V s ”, y~>-c^ 4- /" V V ' <? 

>.s.^.*. -#■>. A^ Arts. ^t?A o 

* ^ ^ * 

4* '‘.^3^»* A^'V °o 

± A <? * A ^ 

/ «.\ 0< 
















VESPER DRAMAS 





VESPER 

DRAMAS 

By 

MARCUS BACH 


WITH WORSHIP PROGRAMS 

By 

WILLIAM H. LEACH 

Editor, Church Management 



Willett, Clark & Company 

CHICAGO NEW YORK 

1938 




Copyright 1938 by Marcus Bach 


Manufactured in The U. S. A. by The Plimpton Press 
Norwood, Mass.-La Porte, Ind. 


The plays in this volume are 
royalty-free. Purchase of this 
book carries with it the right 
to produce any play in this 
collection. 


OCT 16 1939 ^ 

Cl D pub. 667 08 


To 

Elizabeth Kirkpatrick 

patron of the fine arts in religion 






















































































































































































































CONTENTS 


INTRODUCTION 9 

CRAFTSMAN OF GALILEE 13 

“ Those who live hy the sword . . 

ABOVE THESE VOICES 31 

Paul preaches on Mars Hill 

RESURRECTION 45 

The mother of Jesus meets the mother of Judas 

THE WINDOW 61 

The Ghost of War and the Voice of Peace 

THE COMING OF LIGHT 77 

The first English Bible is born — London, 1585 

THE WIDOW’S MITE 101 

God looks not on the gift, but on the giver 

THIN ICE 125 

The Giant Denominationalism 

THE CURSE O’ GOD 147 

“Judge not . . ” 

MOTHER OWEN KEEPS CHRISTMAS 165 

“It is more blessed to give . . 

DAYS TO COME 189 

Youth and the church 

7 





/ 














V 


( 




/ 


l 





INTRODUCTION 


A notable phenomenon in the church field during the past dec¬ 
ade has been the consistently growing interest in religious drama 
and in secular drama suitable for presentation in the church 
chancel. This interest has revealed itself in the increasing num¬ 
ber of religious dramatic groups, and of important literary pro¬ 
ductions designed for such presentation. 

Marcus Bach is one of the most talented and distinguished 
writers in this field. He has, perhaps to a greater degree than 
anyone else, studied the religious dramas of all faiths. He has 
caught the beauty of worship and with rare instinctiveness has 
incorporated it in plays that appeal to the contemporary spir¬ 
itual sense. 

The plays in this volume have been selected with the idea of 
corporate worship in mind. Although varied in theme and 
material, they all bear the imprint of a distinct mood and tempo. 
It is this almost musical quality within the dramas which makes 
them so desirable for vesper hour presentation. The director 
should seek to ascertain and interpret the pace of each par¬ 
ticular play. With the possible exception of “ The Curse o’ 
God 99 the plays are designed for church chancel presentation. 
The church service of today had its origin in drama — an origin 
which is obvious in the Catholic mass and in many aspects of 
Protestant services. The use of drama in the service of worship 
is consistent with the highest ideals. 

Churches seeking to preserve the spirit of worship and, at the 
same time, to maintain a respectable attendance for the second 
service of the day, will find these vesper dramas a logical and 
dignified means of attaining their goal. Each play has a dis¬ 
tinct spiritual message. While the players themselves may re- 

9 


10 


Introduction 


ceive the greatest benefit from the productions, the entire con¬ 
gregation will benefit by the inspiration of worship which is the 
purpose of the service. 

My own contribution to the volume is very slight. It has con¬ 
sisted in selecting music and liturgical materials so that a uni¬ 
fied program might be readily available to churches and min¬ 
isters interested in the medium of drama. It is the hope of the 
authors that they may find in this volume worship material of 
beauty and effectiveness. 


William H. Leach. 


CRAFTSMAN OF GALILEE 


CHARACTERS 


moldaho (Molda'ho), craftsman of Palestine 
geda (Ge'da), his son 
daporan (Dapor'an), an officer of Judea 
noadaiah (Noadai'ah), friend of Moldaho 

AN OLD MAN 

VOICE OF THE CRAFTSMAN OF GALILEE 
VOICES OF CROWDS 
SINGING CHORUS 

The following drama is designed for presentation in the man¬ 
ner of a radio broadcast. Churches complaining of lack of 
equipment , limited time for rehearsals, depleted budgets which 
forbid settings or special costumes , will find this form of pro¬ 
duction unique and adaptable, and all groups, whether amateur 
or aspiring to professionalism , will find it highly effective and 
inspirational. The only properties required are a microphone 
and material for sound effects. 

The drama is introduced with a word of explanation , as fol¬ 
lows : 

“ For the next few minutes this platform will be converted 
into a broadcasting studio, and you will be permitted to see 
and hear a radio presentation entitled ‘ Craftsman of Galilee 
This drama is written by Marcus Bach , and is presented to you 
by [name of group], through the courtesy of [name of church ] 


CRAFTSMAN OF GALILEE 


organ prelude, toward the close of which the announcer 
and the cast enter. 

announcer (speaking into the microphone as the organ 
fades) . Among the chalk-cliffs of the Jordan valley lived Mol- 
daho, craftsman of Palestine, and his son Geda. Their home 
was farthest from the river, beyond the area usually inundated 
by the floods of early spring. Moldaho often said, “ Give God 
room. Intrude not and thou shalt live in peace. His wisdom is 
in the waters.” 

So he built his hut westward “ out of God’s way.” 

One summer’s evening, while Moldaho was still in his work¬ 
shop, a horseman appeared in the pass in the hills, wound his 
way between the straggling dwellings, and without hesitation 
rode to the house of the craftsman. 

(organ silent. Knock is heard.) 

moldaho {darkly). Who is there? 

daporan (from without , some distance from microphone ). 
An officer of Judea ; let me in. 

moldaho. An officer? 

daporan. One sent from Marcus Ambivius, the governor. 

moldaho. Hm-m. It has been some time since a messenger 
of the governor has knocked at the door of Moldaho. . . . Well, 
one moment; I will let down the bar. {Sound of lifting of wooden 
holt and opening of door.) There. {Astonished and apolo¬ 
getic) Thy uniform is that of the governor’s guard. I 
thought. . . . 

daporan. I am an officer as I said. Daporan by name, son 
of Hur. 


13 


14 


Vesper Dramas 


moldaho. Come in, esteemed Daporan. I will send my son 
to take care of thy horse. 

daporan. My horse may stand outside. (Then) So this is 
your workshop, eh? I have heard of it. How is the craft? 

moldaho. It wants but wisdom and a steady hand, my 
friend; both of which I lack. 

daporan ( sagaciously , hut without condescension) . Thou 
art not lacking in humility, that’s a fact. My orders to seek you 
told me otherwise. 

moldaho (smiling). Wagging tongues, good sir, praise me 
to my friends and flay me to my enemies. 

daporan. Moldaho, I was told that you are highest among 
the craftsmen of Judea. The governor said your eyes were keen, 
your brain alive with art, your hands tuned to the knife. 
(Abruptly) Well, they’d better be. 

moldaho. What brings thee here, sir? 

daporan. If we can have a light, I’ll tell you. I have a scroll 
here in my belt. 

moldaho. One moment, sir. Night comes upon the valley 
suddenly. A moment ago it was — 

daporan (impatiently) . I know, I know. Bring the light. 
moldaho. Here, sir, this torch will shed some light upon the 
bench. Let me brush this dust aside . . . there. 

daporan ( sound of imr oiling of scroll) . Hold the top of this 
scroll, will you? 

moldaho. Yea, sir. 

daporan. Can you see this diagram? 

moldaho. Yea, clearly. It is an artist’s work. What is 
the — 

daporan. Well, old man, I’ll tell you what this is. It is the 
plan for a death-dealing catapult first designed by Baldan of 
Herodium. 

moldaho (aghast). Baldan of Herodium! 
daporan. Why do you draw away? 


Craftsman of Galilee 


15 


moldaho ( disturbed ). Why, Baldan died not long ago in 
the city of his fathers. He was a master craftsman, too, for I 
recall how. ... 

daporan. If he had any talent he put it into this device. It 
is an instrument of war surpassing any in the world. It is sure, 
destructive, and deadly. Tiberius wants them set in all his 
kingdoms and estates. 

moldaho {thoughtfully) . It was this that Baldan conceived 
before he died ... an instrument of death ... a catapult. 

daporan {ruthlessly) . Well, he’s dead now, Moldaho. And, 
dying, left only this plan and a few fragments of wood in his 
shop. He might as well have taken them with him for all the 
good they do anyone. 

moldaho. Thou meanest — ? 

daporan. I mean, Moldaho, that until someone can complete 
these plans and actually make a catapult that will throw a beam 
with accuracy, Baldan’s work is of no great account. 

moldaho {involuntarily) . I see he hath recorded some di¬ 
mensions at the bottom of the scroll. 

daporan {abruptly). Moldaho, the governor has a task for 
you! 

moldaho {astounded) . Not, of a truth, to finish Baldan’s 
work? 

daporan. Yea, that is it. The order comes directly from 
the hand of Tiberius Claudius Nero ! 
moldaho {aghast). Our emperor! 

daporan. What do you think, old man ? He has commanded 
all his governors to search their provinces for men skilled in 
craftsmanship; someone to complete and build the catapult of 
Baldan of Herodium! 

moldaho. And — and thou has come unto me? 
daporan. Yea. Because Ambivius, our governor, will rec¬ 
ompense both of us if you have the genius to build the thing. 
moldaho {slowly). An instrument of death. 


16 


Vesper Dramas 


daporan. And fame to you and me, as well as honor for all 
Judea. It is a ladder worth climbing, Moldaho. When will you 
begin ? 

moldaho ( hesitantly ). I fear, my friend. 
daporan ( incredulously ). What? 
moldaho. Yea, my friend, I fear the art of Baldan. 
daporan. What do you mean? 

moldaho. ’Twas said among our craft that never anyone 
could work with Baldan’s plans and live! 

daporan ( laughing ). The old Herodium prophecy! By the 
head of Nero, you’re a greater fool than I dreamed! 

moldaho. Pray do not make light of it. Hast thou not 
heard how — 

daporan. I’ll wager that you fear the spilling of salt, the 
cry of a cricket, the circle round the moon! (He laughs.) 
moldaho. Hast thou not heard how it befell the men who — 
daporan. This is a task set by the governor, yea, by the 
Emperor Tiberius! You speak of signs and prophecies ! Come, 
set your mind to work. There’s fame and fortune in the task 
for both of us ! 

moldaho ( involuntarily ). Fame! Fortune! 
daporan (with persuasion) . You’re growing old. Jehovah 
has sent this mission that you may leave the world a token of 
your art. “ The Catapult of Moldaho ” it will be called! What 
do you say? 

moldaho (half afraid). I see wherein the plans could be 
improved, but — 

daporan. Good, old man! ’Tis well indeed! Then put your 
head and hand to the task! 
moldaho. Yea. . . . 

daporan. I tell you there’ll be wealth in it! And a journey 
to Ambivius! His guards will escort you to the palace of 
Tiberius Claudius Nero! Think on it! 


Craftsman of Galilee 17 

moldaho ( impressed ). Here in the valley they will turn their 
eyes to me! 

daporan. And cry, “ Long live Moldaho, for he is greater 
than Baldan of Herodium! ” 

moldaho. Craftsman of Palestine! 
daporan. Friend of Tiberius! 

moldaho. It is, as thou hast said, a ladder worth climbing. 
daporan. In truth! You will consent? 
moldaho ( pausing ; then suddenly). Yea, I will consent! 
daporan. Good! You’ll start at once! At once, Moldaho ; 
and in a fortnight I’ll return. God prosper you, old man, and 
guard you in your task! 

(organ louder , completing -first episode and denoting lapse of 
time over several days , which fact is brought out in continuity.) 

moldaho ( grumbling to himself; organ fades again). Je¬ 
hovah sheds no light upon it! Ah, that I should be confounded 
at a task! ( Sound of working with wood. ) 
geda ( sound of entrance). Father. 
moldaho ( none too gently) . Well, what is it, Geda? 
geda. What progress hast thou made this morning? 
moldaho (grimly). None . . . none! God has hid him¬ 
self from sight. 

geda. I see thou hast the model there upon the ground. It 
is a sturdy looking instrument and should be well enough to 
throw a beam. 

moldaho (with a touch of disdain). Yea, there it stands; 
the catapult for Tiberius. And into it has gone five days of 
labor, from morn to night, and night to morn. 
geda ( gently) . I’ll help thee if — 

moldaho (exasperated). Help me with what? By the 
prophets, I can go no further. I have yet to find a wood that 
will be flexible enough to undergo the strain whereto it will be 
put. 


18 


Vesper Dramas 


geda {imploringly) . Come, father — 

moldaho ( revealing that he has become hardened and un¬ 
sympathetic since working on the catapult ). Ah, do not weary 
me! I’ll think on this until I get some light on it. ( Excited 
approach of someone .) Who comes in such haste? 

noadaiah ( breathlessly ). Moldaho! Moldaho! I have 
great news for thee! 

moldaho. Say on, Noadaiah. What brings thee here? 
noadaiah. Thou told’st me yesternight of thy difficulty in 
discovering a proper combination for the shaft in the catapult, 
how Daporan had put his faith in thee and how thou art baffled 
at thy task. 

geda. We still have many days till his return — 
moldaho ( exasperated ). Hang thy patience, Geda! 
geda. See, Noadaiah, how ill at ease he has become since 
taking on the building of the instrument of death? At meals 
he is silent, at night he tosses on his bed — 

moldaho. Yea, and at time of prayer I cry unto the Lord! 
And all for nought! The God of Abraham and Jacob hath for¬ 
saken me! 

geda. What is thy message, Noadaiah? 
noadaiah. I have wherewith to help thee, Moldaho, where¬ 
with to find the secret thou hast sought in vain! 

moldaho. What sayest thou? What dost thou mean? 
noadaiah ( confidentially ). Hearken. Hast heard, Mol¬ 
daho, of the work-fellow of Nazareth? 
moldaho. Of Nazareth? Nay. 

noadaiah. ’Tis said that he is of all men the best informed 
in the art of building. I have today seen a yoke and plow that 
came from his shop. I tell thee he hath made them faultlessly. 
geda. What were they like, Noadaiah? 
moldaho. Well, let him finish. 

noadaiah. Never hath man seen such a creation. A plow, 


Craftsman of Galilee 


19 


I tell thee, with a handle to guide it along the furrows ! A per¬ 
fect share as man hath ever seen! 

moldaho. And thou hast thought that — ? 
noadaiah. That this fellow would know the flexibility of 
wood which might perfect thy catapult! 
geda. Aye, of a truth! 

moldaho. Him I would see! What is his name? 
noadaiah. I only know he lives in Nazareth. In Nazareth 
of Galilee. 

moldaho. Him we must seek without delay! {Then) Ah, 
but I am old — no longer fit for journeying. It is no small 
distance to Nazareth. 

noadaiah. Hearken, Moldaho. I thought if Geda so agreed, 
we could make the journey together, he and I. 
geda. In truth! 

moldaho. A happy thought, my friend! Geda, thou shalt 
go to Nazareth of Galilee and from this young craftsman learn 
the secret of the catapult! 

geda. And thou’lt go with me, Noadaiah? 
noadaiah. Yea. 

moldaho {happily). Thou art as a brother, Noadaiah! 
Thou shalt be famous with me when the task is done! Jehovah 
bless thee! 

geda. We’ll leave at dawn? 

moldaho {ecstatically). The prophets’ God be praised! 
The Almighty hath heard my prayers! Day and night have 
I cried to him, now hath he answered me! 

noadaiah. We must not let our eagerness rob us of our 
senses ; we must prepare for the journey while it is still day. 
moldaho {solemnly). Geda. 
geda. Yea, father. 
moldaho. Look at me, my son. 
geda. Yea? 


20 


Vesper Dramas 


moldaho. Swear to me, Geda, that thou wilt not return un¬ 
til the secret hath been learned. 

geda. Even though Daporan return to thee before — ? 
moldaho. Even so. I’ll bid him wait, since no one else hath 
yet achieved our end. Wilt thou swear this to me, Geda? 

geda. Yea, father, I swear it! I’ll not return from Nazareth 
until the craftsman there hath given me the secret for the in¬ 
strument of death! 

(organ louder , denoting lapse of time; music is noble and spir¬ 
ited. voices of a crowd in the street , murmuring , anxiety , ea¬ 
gerness.) 

noadaiah {jocularly). Well, Geda, it seems as though all 
Nazareth were out to welcome us. 

geda. I wish such were the case, Noadaiah, for it might be 
easier for us to find this craftsman’s shop. But everyone seems 
eager, yea, even alarmed. No one so much as looks at us. Hath 
there been rumor of war, or — 

noadaiah. If there had, I’ll wager that Tiberius would pay 
double for his catapult! 

geda. Aye, that he would. 

noadaiah. I have oft wanted to ask thee on our journey, 
Geda, hast ever heard of the prophecy concerning Baldan of 
Herodium? 
geda. Nay. 

noadaiah. Therefore did I want to help thy father with the 
plans, because. . . . 

geda. What is it, Noadaiah? 

noadaiah. ’Twas said of old, they tell me, that no one could 
work on Baldan’s plans and live! 
geda. What! 

noadaiah. There’s no truth in it, of course. But if one 
thinks on these things too seriously they oft — 
geda. Why hast thou not told me this before? 
noadaiah. Thy father forbade me. 


Craftsman of Galilee 


21 


geda. He knew of it! 

noadaiah. I told thee only that it would speed our search 
for this craftsman of Galilee. 

geda ( half to himself). No one can work on Baldan’s plans 
and live! 

noadaiah. Come, Geda. See, there is an old man in the 
doorway of that straggly dwelling. Let us inquire of him. 

geda ( while they apparently walk along). I am distressed, 
Noadaiah! Thy words — these crowds of whispering men — 
the tiresome journey which brought us here— I — 
noadaiah. Think on it no more. Come along. 
geda (thoughtfully). My father knew of it and yet he laid 
his hand to the task! He seeks to make an instrument of 
death. . . . 

noadaiah. Here is the old man. Let us go into the doorway 
where he sits, (voices of crowd fade out.) Peace to thee, 
stranger! 

old man (in a disgruntled manner). Is it peace? 

noadaiah. Yea. We have but lately come from Betharabah. 

old man. Betharabah? 

noadaiah. A town in the Jordan valley. 

old man. Mm-hm. 

geda. We seek a certain craftsman of Nazareth. ’Tis said 
he maketh all things well! 

old man (always in a low , disturbed tone). There are many 
such in Nazareth. 

noadaiah. He whom we seek but lately sent a yoke to Beth¬ 
arabah. 

old man. What is his name? 

noadaiah. We do not know. They only said he lived in 
Nazareth of Galilee. 

geda. We must find him at once. 

old man. Mm-hm. 

geda. Where does he live? 


22 


Vesper Dramas 


old man. From your words he might live anywhere. How 
should I know? You are not sure whom ye seek. 

noadaiah. Is there not one craftsman here who is mightier 
than the rest? 

old man. There was one a fortnight ago: Joseph’s son, a 
carpenter. 

geda. There was? 
old man. Mm-hm. 
geda. Where is he now? 
noadaiah. A noted craftsman, was he? 
old man. Mm-hm. He made a plow, ’tis said, which could 
be guided in the furrows. 
noadaiah. Yea, ’tis he! 
geda. Where is he now? 

old man. Do you behold those crowds around yonder 
mount? 

noadaiah. Yea, there in the distance. 

old man. They, too, are waiting for the craftsman you 
would see, Joseph’s son. 

geda. But — why? What hath he done? 
old man. This is a generation that runs after dreams ; that 
loves to worship those who can expound some new philosophy 
and creed. ( With evidence of spite ) They’ve heard the crafts¬ 
man can work miracles; that he once lengthened a beam of wood 
with his hand. They speak in whispers now and walk about 
with stupid smiles upon their mouths. The half of them are 
mad. 

geda. He lengthened a beam? 
noadaiah. ’Tis he whom we seek! 

old man. The son of Joseph, a carpenter’s son, that’s what 
he is! The young these days are not content to learn their 
father’s craft. They must be priests, philosophers, miracle- 
workers. 


Craftsman of Galilee 


23 


geda (entranced). He lengthened a beam! 
old man. Well, say not that I believe it! You act as though 
he had performed it well enough! Now, I for one — (Singing 
starts in the distance). 
geda. Listen! 
noadaiah. What’s that? 

old man (disgusted) . The world is mad! They sing to car¬ 
penters ! Bah! 

geda. It’s beautiful! Do you hear? 

old man. Of course I hear! Too clearly! I’ll go into the 
house and — 

geda (excitedly) . Look thou, Noadaiah, that must be he! 
noadaiah. Where? 

geda. There, that man in white, ascending the mount! 
noadaiah. Yea, I see him. Let us get closer to him — 
hurry! 

geda. Can we get to him through the crowd? 
noadaiah. We’ll get him off alone somewhere and talk to 
him. (Sound of crowd increases. Singing is more distinct.) 
geda. Wait a moment! 
n o ad aiah . Why ? 

geda. We can’t get past this multitude. There are men 
and women all about him. 

noadaiah. We can get through. 

geda. Wait! He is raising his hand. The singing has 
stopped. Everyone is watching him. 

noadaiah. There’s something strange about him. 
geda. He’s going to speak — listen! 

voice (while all is hushed). Blessed are the poor in spirit: 
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that 
mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for 
they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger 
and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed 


24 


Vesper Dramas 


are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the 
pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peace¬ 
makers : for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed 
are they which — 

geda ( whispering , while the voice continues in the distance ). 
Do you hear, Noadaiah? Did you hear those words? “Blessed 
are the peacemakers, . . . they shall be called the children of 
God.” 

noadaiah. He hath power over these people, that’s sure! 
geda ( profoundly ). The children of God! 
noadaiah. Listen, Geda. 

voice ( distinctly ). Ye have heard that it hath been said, 
Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I 
say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do 
good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despite- 
fully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children 
of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise 
on the — 

geda ( as voice again fades; aghast). Why do you stare 
that way? 

(organ up. The music is mysterious , with a touch of tri¬ 
umph , again denoting a lapse of time.) 

moldaho {his voice shaken with emotion and anger). And 
you stand in my workshop and tell me you have come from 
Nazareth without the secret for the catapult! 

noadaiah {soothingly). He could do nothing else, Moldaho. 
geda. Nay, father, I could do nothing else! If thou hadst 
heard him on the mount, how he said — 
moldaho {agitated). Stop it! 
noadaiah. Come, Moldaho. 

moldaho {threateningly). I sent thee, Geda, trusting thee. 
Thou didst swear to me upon this very spot that thou wouldst 
not return without the information that I sought. 


Craftsman of Galilee 25 

geda. “ Love your enemies,” he said; “ bless them that 
curse you! ” 

moldaho ( viciously 'persistent ). Didst thou not swear 
to me? 

geda. Yea, father. 
moldaho. Before God? 
geda. I did not know that — 
moldaho. Before God? 

geda. Yea! But he seemed as one sent from God! 
noadaiah. The multitudes worshiped him. The world will 
hear of him, Moldaho ! 

moldaho. Silence! You know perhaps that Daporan re¬ 
turns this night to see the finished catapult! There it stands 
— upon the floor — complete, yet imperfect. That beam within 
its trough can be propelled a hundred cubits, nothing more. 
What is that? It should propel it with the speed of lightning — 
with accuracy — yea, that it might destroy and kill! 

geda. When I heard him speak, father, I thought of the 
futility of war! His message breathed of peace. “ Blessed are 
the peacemakers,” he proclaimed, “ for they shall be called the 
children of God! ” 

noadaiah. “ Do good to them that hate you! ” he said. 
moldaho. Thou hast betrayed me! 

geda. Had you but been there with us! Is not this talk 
of peace a greater mission than our craft? 

moldaho {grimly). So this is my reward for trusting thee! 
I would the prophecy of Baldan were fulfilled on thee — my son! 
geda {astounded). Father! 

noadaiah {affrighted). Moldaho, think on thy words ! 
moldaho {crazily). Ye have betrayed me, to bring me to 
shame! 

geda. Nay! 

moldaho {as before). There is a beam there in the catapult, 


26 


Vesper Dramas 


ready to be flung! The brace holds the propeller-shaft; the 
twisted cords could snap if I would hurl this piece of wood 
against it! See this wood within my hand? ( He laughs in¬ 
sanely .) 

geda. Father! Put that down! 

moldaho. God curse thee, Geda! For thou wouldst listen 
to a craftsman out of Galilee, rather than to Moldaho of Beth- 
arabah! 

noadaiah. Moldaho! Drop that wood! 

moldaho {irrationally). Why? — Why, Noadaiah? ( Vi¬ 
ciously ) Thou, too, hast gone the way of the faithless! My 
hope for fame for me and all Judea, thou hast brought to nought! 
Thou and he — my son! 

geda. There is a better way, father! 

moldaho {unheeding). And Daporan will scowl, and curse, 
and laugh! Yea, he will laugh! {He laughs crazily; then , in 
a frenzy) Can I hit it? Can I spring the catapult with this 
wood, think you, Geda? 

geda. Father! 

noadaiah. Drop that, Moldaho! 

moldaho. Nay, I will throw it! Is not this the prophecy 
of Baldan! {He throws the stick. It is heard to strike the 
catapult; the beam is loosed and propelled against the body of 
moldaho. He falls with a shriek.) 

noadaiah. It hit him! He is killed! 

geda. Father. . . . 

(organ up immediately for closing musical effect.) 

announcer {after some moments while organ plays pianis¬ 
simo). You have just listened to a drama entitled “ Craftsman 
of Galilee,” brought to you by [name of group] from the audi¬ 
torium of the [name of church.] {Other remarks , ad. lib.) 
organ up for postlude. 


Craftsman of Galilee 


27 


SUGGESTED WORSHIP PROGRAM 

Organ Prelude : “ Cantilena ” Demarest 
Silence, for a space 

After a few moments for personal meditation , the leader 
says: 

Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and that seek 
him with the whole heart. 

The Lord’s Prayer, in unison 
Hymn : “ Immortal Love, Forever Full ” Whittier 
Responsive Reading 
Leader: 

I heard the voice of Jesus say, 

“ Come unto me and rest; 

Lay down, thou weary one, lay down 
Thy head upon my breast.” 

Congregation: 

I came to Jesus as I was, 

Weary and worn and sad. 

I found in him a resting-place. 

And he has made me glad. 

Leader: 

I heard the voice of Jesus say, 

“ Behold, I freely give 

The living water! Thirsty one, 

Stoop down, and drink, and live.” 

Congregation: 

I came to Jesus and I drank 
Of that life-giving stream; 

My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, 

And now I live in him. 


28 


Vesper Dramas 


Leader: 

I heard the voice of Jesus say, 

“ I am this dark world’s light; 

Look unto me, thy morn shall rise, 

And all the day be bright.” 

Congregation: 

I looked to Jesus and I found 
In him my star, my sun; 

And in that light of life I’ll walk, 

Till traveling days are done. 

Prayer 

Eternal, Holy, Almighty, whose name is Love, we are met 
in solemn company to seek thy face, and in spirit and truth 
to worship thy name. We come in deep humility, since thou 
art so high and exalted, and because thou beholdest the 
proud from afar off. We come in the name and spirit of 
Jesus to make our wills one with thine; to abandon our 
lonely and selfish walk for solemn communion with thee; to 
put an end to sin by welcoming to our hearts thy holy pres¬ 
ence. Deeper than we have known, enter, thou Maker of 
our souls ; clearer than we have seen, dawn the glory on our 
sight. Light the flame upon the altar, call forth the incense 
of prayer, waken the song of praise, and manifest thyself 
to all. Amen. — W. E. Orchard 

Offertory 

Choir Anthem and Solo : “ Beautiful Saviour ” Christiansen 
Hymn : “ O Christ the Way ” Dykes 
Presentation of the Drama 

Organ Postlude : “ Finale in D Minor ” Matthews 
Benediction, while the postlude is being played: 

Now may the spirit of the Galilean, whose words are 
truth and whose life is love, guard, guide, and keep you 
evermore. Amen. 


ABOVE THESE VOICES 


CHARACTERS 


dionysius, a young man 
a meliorist, middle-aged 
a fanatic, an aged man 


A BLIND MAN 

damaris, a young woman 
paul, the apostle, about 


a stoic (hanan), a young man 
men and women of Athens 


thirty-six 

A BEGGAR 


an epicurean (agar), middle- 

aged 

Scene: The Court of the Areopagites on Mars Hill, Athens. 
Time: About 50 a.d. 

This drama is especially attractive for outdoor presentation , 
although it may be effectively presented in the church chancel or 
on the parish stage. 

The scene represents the Court of the Areopagites on Mars 
Hill in Athens, a spot “ far removed from the hum of the busy 
world below; where men might hear in peace what the newest of 
enthusiasts had to say.” Here , we are told , “ the Athenians and 
strangers spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to 
hear some new thing.” 

At the bach are stone seats or benches for the council. On 
either side is a table built in the form of an altar. The one at 
players' right is for the accused , the one at left for the accuser. 
Trees flank the scene and suggestions of walls run off at right 
and left. Two entrances, one at each side , admit to the court. 


ABOVE THESE VOICES 


At this moment the regular Council of Areopagites is not in 
session. Two seats only are occupied: one hy a meliorist, the 
other hy an epicurean. Both are men of middle age , well fed 
and comfortable looking. Other men and women stand around , 
among them young dionysius, a young woman damaris, an aged 
fanatic, and a blind man. A crippled beggar sits statue-like 
near the entrance at left. The light is that of late afternoon. 

dionysius. It seems to me, Agar, that this is all very ri¬ 
diculous. 

epicurean. What, my friend? 

dionysius. We have gathered here on Mars Hill for many 
years. But instead of growing religious we grow lazy. 

meliorist ( with languor). Perhaps, my dear Dionysius, 
that is the fruit of true religion. You call it laziness, we call it 
leisure. 

blind man ( leaning forward upon his staff). Ye who see the 
gods! Give heed! Doth Diana ever toil? Or doth she still 
stand where the silversmith hath set her? 

meliorist ( turning to him). Who speaks of Diana on Mars 
Hill? 

fanatic. I hear wings beating over my head. I hear the 
gods preparing for war. There is a veil of blood over the sun. 

epicurean. Go on, Dionysius. 

dionysius ( intently , to the fanatic). You hear gods pre¬ 
paring for war? 

fanatic. I see Diana fall from her throne and Jupiter shat¬ 
tered against the stones. Athens trembles! 

epicurean. He is possessed. Mars Hill is fast becoming a 
refuge for the rabble. 

si 


32 


Vesper Dramas 


damaris. And why not? Dionysius is right. We have be¬ 
come lazy in our religion. We spend our time in vain babblings 
and foolish discourses. 

dionysius. True, Damaris, I am beginning to believe that 
that religion is dead which does not express itself in deeds and 
brotherhood. 

epicurean. A fine world this would be if everyone would try 
to force his idea of brotherhood on his fellows. Things will move 
to ultimate perfection if we only give them a chance. I seek re¬ 
ligion, not for the sake of religion but as a means to happiness. 

blind man. If there are gods in Athens tell them to touch 
my eyes! 

fanatic. Great is Diana! But greater is the silversmith 
who fashioned her. Shall I sing of Diana? I sang once and her 
temple burned in Ephesus. 

meliorist. Will you stop that? 

epicurean. What is religion? It is man’s supreme good. 
What is the supreme good? Self. Self is the highest expression 
of the gods. 

damaris. And selfishness the lowest form of vice. 

dionysius. My friends, we have built beautiful temples and 
erected splendid statues. We have gods of gold and silver 
and graven stone. But our lives still go on in emptiness and 
strife. 

damaris. It is written that gods cannot be made with hands 
or by man’s device. 

dionysius (coming to the altar at left and facing them). 
Where is the god who made us? Where is the god who can open 
blinded eyes ? 

fanatic (to the blind man). Do you hear that, sightless 
one? You are to see! He forgets you have stones for eyes. 

damaris. Some eyes of flesh see less! 

dionysius. If the world looks to Mars Hill for a livable phi- 


Above These Voices 


33 


losophy we must admit we have failed. And the world does look 
to us. It sits like yonder beggar, deaf, dumb, but waiting. 
(They turn m the direction of the beggar.) 

epicurean. How dramatic, Dionysius! How have you es¬ 
caped the theater? 

meliorist. One of our philosophers writes, “ Man himself 
makes his heaven and his earth.” That is a profound truth. 

blind man. Who made my world? Not I! Who plunged 
me into this darkness? If I could make my world I’d make it 
free from pain. 

epicurean. Well, you can’t. 

fanatic. If I could make a world I’d make the trees bear 
gold and the rivers run with wine. 

blind man ( turning uncertainly m their direction ). Rather 
make the road kind beneath our feet. 

meliorist. Will you hold your tongues ! 
epicurean (deprecatingly) . Take what the gods have given 
you and be content. 

Dionysius. I long for a religion that ties itself to some great 
ideal. 

blind man. I long for a religion that will give me light. 
dionysius ( gently ). A man once walked in Galilee who 
opened blinded eyes. 

blind man. He walked, aye! So it is said. But lo ! he died, 
not like a god, but like a thief! 

dionysius. Some say he was the Jews’ messiah. 
meliorist (mockingly). Some say! 

damaris. He came unto his own and his own knew him not. 
epicurean. If Damaris can prophesy she is content. Lis¬ 
ten, all of you! We Epicureans believe that man has been en¬ 
dowed with tastes, appetites, desires that should be satisfied. 
If not, why did the gods give them to us? Eat, drink, and be 
merry, for tomorrow we die! 


34 


Vesper Dramas 


dionysius. That were well had we not learned the fallacy of 
it. Your theory leads too easily to overindulgence and suffer¬ 
ing- 

meuorist. Life is best when it harmonizes with nature. We 
do not need much more religion than that. 

blind man. It is well enough for you to speak of philoso¬ 
phies, but I want something that can make me see. Since men 
have failed I must look to a god. Which god? You cannot tell 
me even that. 

damaris. We seek. 

blind man. You know no torment, you who can see. 
Throughout this endless night I think of nothing save that some 
miracle will tear these scales from my eyes. 

fanatic. Say no more or I will blind myself out of pity for 
you. This is a day evil enough. I see blood dripping from the 
sun. 

blind man. Be thankful thou canst see the sun. 
epicurean. Stop making us miserable. 

blind man. Be thankful thou canst see the sky over thy 
head, and trees, and friends. 

fanatic. Hear that, Athenians! The fellow thinks a friend 
is to be seen! I see no friend. The world is bereft. There is 
no friend but wealth these days. It will not always be so. I 
see a sword thrust out of Judea. 

meliorist (wearily). The world would be happy if it were 
half as credulous as you. 

dionysius ( trying to gain their attention again). The world 
always looks for a religion that works miracles. 
meliorist. The height of paganism ! 

damaris. The miracle of the true religion will be that it 
teaches men how to live. 

epicurean (dryly). You speak almost like a Christian. (A 
number laugh at this.) 

fanatic (speaking excitedly). I was in Antioch twelve days 


Above These Voices 35 

ago and heard strange things. Men stood on street corners 
turning the world upside down. 
damaris. You were in Antioch? 

fanatic. A day of drunkenness. Men sang and women 
prayed. Caesar was forgotten. A thousand knelt in the street 
and two thousand were baptized in the streams. Caesar’s name 
was not heard. Devils ran in the market places. The dead 
awoke. I saw the sun stand still! ( The others stare at him.) 
meliorist. Well, would you all become Jews? 
dionysius. We would become men. 
damaris. We would follow truth. 
blind man. Were there miracles? 

fanatic. Is it not a miracle for the sun to stand still in the 
heavens ? 

epicurean ( rising ). I have no interest in this blasphemy. 
If you want to be deluded, well and good. I’ll have none of it. 

meliorist ( preparing to follow agar). Nor I. (To dio¬ 
nysius) You, Dionysius, a member of the council, joining in 
these affairs! 

dionysius. If you have never known want in body or soul 
you will not understand. If you have never seen the world lan¬ 
guishing under the rule of whimsical gods, this is all foolishness. 

epicurean (who has moved over to the beggar preparatory 
to departing) . Well, beggar, how is your trade? 

fanatic (moving to the gate at right). Great is Diana! 
Great is Jupiter! 

blind man. Light! Light! Are there no gods in Athens ? 
dionysius ( to the meliorist) . I am not thinking only of my¬ 
self. I think of Athens — of the world. . . . Without truth 
no people can endure. 

epicurean. What is truth, philosopher? 
dionysius. Truth is that which leads us from the unreal to 
the real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality. 
fanatic ( wildly , looking off right). See them below at the 


36 


Vesper Dramas 


gates! Who is this that comes? He has a sword in his hand 
and flames of fire on his tongue. His eyes are like stars! 

blind man ( groping his way). Which way? Which way? 
damaris ( moving toward right with others). There by the 
outer court. 

meliorist. A new face on Mars Hill. 
fanatic (in a loud voice) . Let all the world be silent now! 
meliorist. If your brain were half as active as your tongue! 
(Then) He is a Jew. 
epicurean. A Jew? 
dionysius. Hanan, the Stoic, is with him. 
blind man. Hath he a god in his hands ? Tell me, are there 
phylacteries about his neck? Hath he a staff? 
damaris (quietly). Silence now. 

(paul appears , accompanied by a young stoic, hanan. paul 
is about thirty-six years of age , a strong figure. He studies 
them quietly during the following conversation. A number of 
people enter with the two.) 

meliorist. Good-day, Hanan. And who is this? 
stoic. Good peace. You’ve heard, no doubt, of those who 
stirred the populace in Berea? 
epicurean. Indeed. . . . 

stoic. This is the foremost of the preaching band. Come 
here, Jew! (paul views him quietly , his eyes then turn to the 
fanatic and finally rest on dionysius.) 

fanatic. ’Tis he of Antioch! They drove him from the city. 
Beware of him! He is a sorcerer! 

stoic. Hold your tongue. (To paul) Well, Jew, you find 
yourself on Mars Hill, which is the throne of learning. What 
have you to say? 

dionysius (in a low voice). Yea, speak to us. (paul goes 
over to the beggar and gives him a coin.) 

meliorist (meanwhile to hanan). Why did you bring him 
here? 


Above These Voices 


37 


stoic. I heard him speaking in the market place below. He 
so confounded our followers and yours, Agar, that I asked 
him to come with me to the Areopagus. See how Dionysius 
watches him. 

fanatic. Paul! 5 Tis he! He left the city in a cloud. The 
sun was darkened and the sky was filled with blood! 

blind man. Paul! . . . Paul, give me my sight in the name 
of thy great God! Light for my blinded eyes! 
stoic. Think only of yourself, cripple. 
dionysius. Will you not speak to us? 
stoic. Speak, Jew! (paul looks at him intently.) 
meliorist. So you are Paul. So you are he who now stands 
with those he once persecuted. You preach about the Galilean, 
is that it? 

stoic. He preaches Jesus — and the resurrection. 
epicurean. The resurrection! {He laughs.) 
fanatic {crazily). Well, tell me, when this beggar lives 
again will he still be a brute whose jaws and ears are locked? 
When this blind man is resurrected will he still have stones for 
eyes? (agar and the meliorist laugh; others join them.) 
blind man. Stop it! Stop laughing! 

epicurean. The one possessed has spoken with unusual 
sense. Tell us, Paul, what are these tangled philosophies you 
have been setting forth to our Athenians? 

meliorist. Are you afraid to speak? Or must you wait un¬ 
til the council has convened? 

stoic. Tell us about the king who is to take the place of 
Caesar. 

{The next lines come rapidly.) 
fanatic. Great is Caesar! Great is Athena! 
dionysius. Tell us about the resurrection. 
blind man. Perform a miracle! 

meliorist. Selfish fiend! {He pushes the blind man aside.) 
damaris. Beware! 


38 


Vesper Dramas 


epicurean ( to Paul) . I’ve heard that those who touch your 
garment are transformed to gods. ( Some laugh at this.) 
stoic. Speak, fellow! Wisdom may bring happiness ! 
paul ( walking slowly to the altar for the accused and facing 
them; they are very quiet. His speech begins gently but grows 
to great intensity as he proceeds). Ye men of Athens, I per¬ 
ceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed 
by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscrip¬ 
tion, “ To the Unknown God.” Whom therefore ye ignorantly 
worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and 
all the things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, 
dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshiped 
with men’s hands as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth 
to all life, and breath, and all things. And hath made of one 
blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, 
and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds 
of their habitation . . . that they should seek the Lord, if haply 
they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far 
from every one of us. For in him we live, and move, and have our 
being; as certain also of your poets have said, “We are also 
his offspring.” Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, 
we ought not to think that the godhead is like unto gold, or 
silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times 
of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men 
everywhere to repent. Because he hath appointed a day, in 
which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom 
he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, 
in that he hath raised him from the dead! ( There is a time of 

silence .) 

epicurean. Pretty words, Jew. 

stoic {affected) . We will hear more of this matter! (paul 
walks slowly to the gate at left and exits.) 

dionysius. I will hear more of it, for I will follow him. Such 
words have not been heard on Mars Hill until this hour! “ The 


Above These Voices 39 

times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth 
all men everywhere to repent! ” Who will come with me? 

damaris. I! 

dionysius. You, Damaris. You and I — followers of the 
risen king! 

fanatic ( wildly ). Go then! And crosses wait for you! I 
see pain and death! Is your life so cheap that you will sell it 
for a pretty speech? 

dionysius. Who else will go? No one? None of you? Will 
you all stay steeped in your illusions ? 

damaris ( at right). Come, Dionysius, he is going in the di¬ 
rection of the synagogue — alone. 

blind man. Wait! I sought for light! I wanted sight for 
my blinded eyes — but a greater light hath come. In my heart 
I have seen God! The true and living God has appeared to me! 

damaris. Come with us then! 

blind man. Give me your hand! (damaris takes his hand.) 

dionysius. Think on this, Athenians! ( With damaris and 
the blind man he exits.) 

meliorist. The blind and foolish have gone after dreams. 
As one of our philosophers has said, 44 Where ignorance leads 
the simple follow.” 

epicurean. Vain is the discourse of him by whom no human 
suffering’s healed. Are the blind not always blind? Does yon¬ 
der beggar walk because of Paul? ( They look at the beggar 
for a moment.) 

stoic. No — he sits as before. But there is a strange light 
on his face. 

meliorist. Well, he is richer than before. (It grows 
darker.) 

fanatic. I see Mars Hill in dust and Caesar in his tomb. 
Hanan and Agar are forgotten! There is a cross against the 
sun! Like Antioch — so Athens! 

epicurean. Come, friends, this place is fast becoming a 


40 


Vesper Dramas 


madhouse. ( He comes to the meliorist.) There is a banquet 
at the proconsul’s house tonight. 

meliorist. I hope he has another cask of wine from Sicily. 
stoic. I pity Damaris. Aye, the world is cruel to these 
Christians. 

epicurean. Come along, I know there will be dancing. 
( They begin to file off.) 

fanatic ( coming to the beggar) . Did you hear that ? Wine 
and dancing! ( The beggar nods.) We’ll stand at the door. 
{He helps the beggar to his feet.) Once they threw me a bone. 
It still had thick meat on it. They may give us the plate 
that was intended for Dionysius. {They start off together.) 
Think of it, beggar, we may eat the food of an Areopagite! 
The gods are kind. . . . 

{The others go quietly from the scene. ... It has grown 
quite dark.) 


CURTAIN 


Above These Voices 


41 


SUGGESTED WORSHIP PROGRAM 

Organ Prelude : “ Largo ” Handel 
Invocation 

O Master from the mountainside, 

Make haste to heal these hearts of pain; 

Among thy restless throngs abide, 

O tread the city’s streets again. 

Hymn : “ Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life ” North 
Litany 

Leader: For all those who have loved us and helped us, 
that they may be enriched by thy perpetual presence — 

Congregation: We humbly beseech thee. 

Leader: For our children, that they may learn to love the 
things which are pure, that they may be saved from the 
things which defile — 

Congregation: We humbly beseech thee. 

Leader: For the men and women of business and the home, 
caught in the frenzied race for honor and achievement, 
that they may appreciate the permanence of things spir¬ 
itual and find that which truly satisfieth the needs of the 
soul — 

Congregation: We humbly beseech thee. 

Leader: For the sick and those who have found their 
strength inadequate for the needs of the day, that they 
may have strength and patience — 

Congregation: We humbly beseech thee, O Lord. 

Leader: For the poor and outcast, for those who have 
none they can trust, for the hopeless and disheartened, 
for those who feel that they have failed, that to them 
may come the assurance of thy help — 


42 


Vesfer Dramas 


Congregation: Hear our prayer, O Lord. 

Leader: For the harassed, perplexed and doubting souls 
who have lost their way in the maze of life, who need the 
guidance of an eternal light, who should hear the great 
voice which speaks above all voices — 

Congregation: Hear our prayer, O Lord. 

Prayer 

Our Father, we thank thee for the courage of men such 
as Paul, who have counted all else but loss that they might 
attain to the fellowship of thy presence. We ask that, as 
we re-view this day one of the great scenes of the life story 
of this apostle to the Gentiles, we may be able to surround 
ourselves with the atmosphere of ancient Athens. May we 
live the scene which is portrayed. May our conclusions 
from this mighty appeal be such that we shall lift our 
hearts and eyes to hear the voice that is above all voices, to 
see the light that is above all lights. Amen. 

Offertory Solo : “ Come Unto Me ” Coenen 

Hymn : “ From Every Stormy Wind that Blows 99 Stowell 

Presentation of the Drama 

Benediction 

Now may the Lord of the apostle whose eyes were opened 
on the Damascus road be with you, to bless you and give 
you peace. Amen. 

Organ Postlude : “ Recessional ” Eppeisheimer 


RESURRECTION 


CHARACTERS 


THE WOMAN 

THE NAMELESS ONE 

GAZA 

THE YOUNG MAN 
THE FIGURE IN WHITE 
JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA 

Scene: A room in the house of Joseph of Arimathea. 

Time: The morning of the Resurrection. 

It is before dawn and small flickering lamps are lighted. 
Chairs , a table and a couch of the period are placed in position. 
At the back and left windows look out into the night. At either 
side is a door. 


RESURRECTION 


The nameless one enters and takes a position at left window. 
She is dressed in somber attire , her long pale hands are almost 
luminous against her dark dress. She wears a flowing black 
headpiece. The woman enters and seats herself at the table. 
Her garment is gray with an occasional contrast of black and 
white , as is also her headpiece. She bows as in prayer. The 
nameless one turns and looks at her. Then she speaks. 

the nameless one (at the window). It is still very dark. 
the woman (her hands relaxing). And very quiet. Even 
the guards at the tomb are quiet. 

the nameless one. That is because the master of the house 
went out to silence them. 

the woman. He is a good man. (Silence.) 
the nameless one (after a moment.) Yes, Joseph of Ari- 
mathea is a very good man. Earlier in the night I saw a lamp 
in this window. I came here — rather, I was drawn here. 
the woman. Did you feel that, too, tonight? 

THE NAMELESS ONE. What? 

the woman. A power . . . guiding you — aimlessly some¬ 
times— through the dark? 

the nameless one. Yes. (There is a time of silence.) 
the woman. Who are you? 

the nameless one. A nameless one who came to pray in 
Joseph’s garden where they laid the Christ. . . . You are trem¬ 
bling. Are you cold? (The woman shakes her head. The 
nameless one removes her shawl and places it around the 
Woman's shoulders.) 

the woman. You are very kind. You were kind to me in 
the garden — when I was frightened. 

45 


46 


Vesper Dramas 


the nameless one. I, too, was frightened earlier in the 
evening. I stumbled against you while you prayed. You gave 
a little cry and ran away. I thought I would never see you 
again. But it is a strange night. A night when even the dead 
seem to walk. 

the woman. Why do you call yourself a nameless one? 

the nameless one. To lose myself in a world that will 
despise my name. A few days ago I put it from me like a 
curse, covered my face, and played the leper — 

the woman. I thought that only one could feel such agony. 

the nameless one. You mean — he who lies buried in the 
sepulcher? 

the woman. I mean — myself. I thought tonight — before 
I touched your hand — that it was but the shadow of myself 
that walked and prayed in Joseph’s garden. Somewhere, I felt, 
my real self lay in dreams from which some day I’d waken with 
a cry. And in that waking find myself beside a manger bed once 
more — 

the nameless one (in a low , awed voice). A manger bed? 
( The woman turns away. The nameless one speaks excitedly) 
Tell me the rest. Who are you? 

the woman. A woman. 

the nameless one (quickly). A mother? (The woman is 
silent.) I had hoped you were a mother. I thought perhaps 
you were a peasant —perhaps a mother like myself, who once 
had borne a son in some such lowly place. A son for whom you 
wished to pray here near the tomb of one who set such worth on 
motherhood — who taught us God was good and ready to for¬ 
give. 

the woman. You had a son? 

THE NAMELESS ONE. Yes. 

the woman. And would you, if you could, have him a babe 
again upon your breast? (The nameless one is silent.) My 
tongue is wild tonight. I thought that every mother in the world 
were wishing that with me. 


Resurrection 


47 


THE NAMELESS ONE. I wish it. 

the woman. And I! ( Then, quietly) Or is it only my 
despair that speaks? I hope that I will not forget the years of 
love, when, from the silent corner of my motherhood, I watched 
him grow in stature and in mind. Forget that first cold cradle 
which my love transformed into the birthplace of a king. . . . 
(Far in the distance, just audible, a choir is singing “ 0 Little 
Town of Bethlehem” The song serves as a background for 
the following lines) Forgive me — but I remember how men 
brought gifts unto my firstborn child. A star, bright as a fire, 
stood against the sky. A voice spake “ Peace,” and in the straw, 
quivering beneath his restless cry, I saw the face of God. What 
peace was this! I sometimes think it mocked me all life long! 
(She turns to the nameless one.) Tell me, did your son grow 
away from you so fast? Did you have him only such a little 
while as I? Or lives he still? Living or dead, be glad that he 
met no such agony as mine! ( The woman has risen.) 

the nameless one (in quiet terror). Who are you? What 
is this talk of stars against the sky? 

the woman. Forgive me. There — is that a light upon the 
path? 

the nameless one. Who was your son? Who are you? 
Tell me! ( The song stops abruptly. ) 

the woman ( quietly, after a moment). A mother like your¬ 
self — to comfort and be comforted, torn between despair and 
hope. Why do you stare at me? 

( There is the sound of someone at the door, gaza, a servant, 
enters. His gray garment is girdled by a wide red tunic-cord. 
His headgear consists of a piece of red and yellow striped ma¬ 
terial, falling to his shoulders.) 

gaza (to someone outside). You may come in. My master 
will soon be here. 

(The young man comes in. He is richly dressed. Over his 
soft blue undergarment is thrown a cloak lined with red, fastened 
at the throat with a jeweled brooch. His headpiece is soft blue 


48 Vesper Dramas 

banded with 'pure white. He wears many rings. There is an air 
of wealth about him.) 

gaza. These two women are waiting here until dawn. The 
house of Joseph of Arimathea is fast becoming an inn. 
young man. I doubt not that all are welcome. 
gaza. Indeed, my master is a generous man. Too generous 
ofttimes for his own good. 

young man. So you think I may see the tomb at break of 
day? 

gaza. Why not? The guards will curse a bit, but that is 
because they are Romans. They cursed, too, when Nicodemus, 
that is my master’s friend, brought myrrh and spices to the 
tomb. “ Are you one of his disciples ? ” they said to him. And 
Nicodemus replied, “ I am.” Yes, that took courage. 
young man. Nicodemus admitted his discipleship? 
gaza. That he did. But so did my master. 
young man. Joseph of Arimathea — a disciple? I thought 
he was a member of the Sanhedrin? 

gaza. Well, so he was. But I was with him when he went 
to beg the body of the crucified. He went to Pilate, you know, 
on the evening of that horrible day. “ I pray thee,” he said, 
“ let me take the body from the cross and bury it.” Pilate 
looked at him and said, “ Are you of his family? ” My master 
shook his head. “ I am Joseph of Arimathea,” he replied, “ a 
Jew and a disciple of the Christ.” 

the woman ( speaking out of the shadows). And then, what 
happened? ( They look at her.) 

gaza. Well, he confessed that he was a follower. . . . Some 
say that Pilate wept. But I did not see that. I do know that 
my master offered him money and he refused it. “ I have 
washed my hands of the matter,” Pilate explained. Then we 
went to Calvary. Nicodemus and another man accompanied us. 
It is some distance from the governor’s house. It was fast grow- 


Resurrection 49 

ing dark and we hastened since our custom forbids a body re¬ 
maining on the cross after nightfall. 

the woman. Was no one at the cross besides the watchman? 

gaza. No one. All had forsaken him. Mother and friends 
were gone. Well, the storm had driven them away. There was 
a storm, you know, about the third hour. (The woman, weep¬ 
ing , has turned away.) Well, I must be about my duties. Rest 
you until the master comes. (As he is about to go out an 
angel , the figure in white, enters. It has the appearance of a 
young man. Invisible to the persons in the room , it goes directly 
to the side of the woman.) That’s strange. 

YOUNG MAN. What? 

gaza. Did you see someone enter just now? 

young man. What do you mean? 

gaza ( raising his lamp to look about the room). I thought — 
Well, no matter. (He goes out. The young man seats himself , 
takes a moneybag from his girdle , and begins quietly counting 
some coins.) 

figure in white ( quietly , to the woman). 

Weep — 

A part of life is meant for tears. 

the nameless one (at the window). A wind is rising. 

young man. It will soon be dawn. (He continues his count¬ 
ing.) 

figure in white (to the woman, as before). 

So was 

A part of life once meant for joy — 

Triumph and joy. 

(Far in the distance , just audible , a choir is singing , “ Ride 
on. Ride on in Majesty .” It serves as a background for the fol¬ 
lowing lines) 

That day, 

Of him the prophet sang: 


50 


Vesper Dramas 


Who is this that cometh 
Out of Edom, 

With dyed garments 
Out of Bozrah? 

This that is glorious in his apparel, 

And marching in the greatness 
Of his strength? 

O’er all the way 
Green palms were strewn, 

And flowers fell before his feet. 

Rejoice and sing, Jerusalem, 

They cried. 

And many spread their garments 
In the way, 

And sang: Hosanna! 

Blessed is he that cometh, 

That cometh in the name of God. 

Blessed is the kingdom, 

The kingdom of our Lord, 

The kingdom of our Father, 

Even David! 

Unto him hosanna, 

Glory and hosanna 
Unto him! 

And you, that day, 

Half-hidden in the throng, 

Greeted a son, 

While others hailed a king. 

(The song has quietly died away and it is very still save for 
the clink of the Young Man's coins . He soon returns the hag to 
his girdle .) 

the woman. Yes, he was mine! Do you hear? 


Resurrection 


51 


young man. What are you saying, woman? 
the woman. They called him king and lord. I called 
him — 

young man {intently). What? 

the nameless one (fearfully) . Don’t you know who she is? 
young man. If you are his mother, listen to me. One day 
I met him in Judea beyond Jordan and I said to him, 44 Good 
teacher, what shall I do that I may have eternal life? ” He 
looked at me and said, 44 Why callest thou me good? One only is 
good and that is God. But if thou wouldst enter into life, keep 
the commandments.” I said to him, 44 Which commandments, 
good teacher? ” And he recited unto me the commands of our 
lawgiver Moses. 

the woman. And then — ? 

young man. 44 All these,” I answered, 44 1 have kept from my 
youth. What lack I yet? ” He smiled and quietly replied, 44 If 
thou wouldst be perfect indeed, go, sell that which thou hast and 
give it to the poor. When thou hast done that, then come and 
follow me.” I turned away and never saw him again. 
the nameless one. Who was with him that day? 
young man. His disciples. 
the woman. Then — you did not follow him? 
young man. The day they crucified him — that day I sold 
all my possessions and complied with his command. Could I do 
less since he laid down his life for his belief? Mine is the sin that 
I delayed so long. 

the nameless one. Was Judas Iscariot there that day — 
with him — in Judea? 

the woman. Who speaks of Judas Iscariot? (The figure 
in white raises his hands as though to silence her .) 
the nameless one. Forgive me. 
the woman. Forgive thou me. 

YOUNG MAN. Yes, he was there. I still remember him be¬ 
cause he held the moneybag. He looked unlike the deed of which 


52 Vesper Dramas 

he is accused. Scarcely more than a boy beside the bearded 
Peter. 

THE NAMELESS ONE. Yes. . . . 

young man. This sack of gold — the last I still possess — I 
had intended to place within the hands of Judas that he might 
distribute it among the poor. I cannot help but say I would 
have trusted him even as the Master trusted him. 

the nameless one. Those who knew Judas as a child — 
the woman. Why will you speak of Judas Iscariot? 
the nameless one. This is a night in which to speak. . . . 
young man. And then I heard the whisper being passed 
throughout Judea, “ Judas has betrayed the Christ! ” 

the nameless one. So quickly accursed was he, he took his 
life. ( Then to the woman) But you — speak not too harshly 
of his name. 

the woman. Who are you? 

the nameless one. I cannot speak of manger beds or stars 
against the sky, or men with gifts. I only know he, too, was once 
a babe. 

young man. Some say that Judas thought the Christ would 
call down angels from the skies and save himself. Instead he 
never lifted a hand except to forgive. . . . 

the woman. For that they nailed him to the cross — 
Jesus — 

the nameless one. For that he hanged himself — Judas — 
young man. Do you know that I heard in the city that he 
might still save himself? Rise from the dead? Some say he 
once predicted it. If he could arise — come here into this room 
— through these doors — stand before us as he was — or with 
the print of the nails upon his hands and feet — I’d be the first 
to fall upon my knees before him — with these few coins and this 
indulgent body begin my discipleship—take Judas’ place 
among the twelve, if he allowed! ( It has grown a hit lighter in 
the room.) 


Resurrection 


53 


the nameless one ( at the window). The stars have left 
the sky. ... Far in the distance I see a lantern. . . . The 
wind is still. . . . {The young man has seated himself thought- 
fully.) 

FIGURE IN WHITE ( to the WOMAN). 

Give her your hand. 

(The woman is motionless. The figure in white puts his 
hand in hers and leads her to the nameless one.) 

the woman. Here. ( She extends her hand.) 

the nameless one. You offer your hand to — me? 

the woman. Yes. 

the nameless one. You — know who I am? 

THE WOMAN. I knOW. 

FIGURE IN WHITE ( to the WOMAN). 

Say unto her, 

44 No sin is too great for his compassion.” 

the woman ( to the nameless one). No sin is too great for 
his compassion. 

the nameless one ( trembling). God bless you evermore and 
grant you peace! ( She weeps. The woman puts an arm about 
her and helps her to a chair.) 

FIGURE IN WHITE. 

If all of you had hearts 
Tuned to the Infinite, 

And ears 

To hear me speak — 

How easily might 
Joy acclaim 
This saddened hour! 

Think not of death 

When death has been o’ercome. 


I soon must go 


54 


Vesper Dramas 


To set 

The resurrection hand of Time. 

0, what a morn is this! 

Why weep? 

The angel host 

Which Judas hoped 

The Saviour would call down. 

Are called. 

Round yonder sepulcher 
They wait this glorious morn. 

Fear not, 

Be not afraid. 

And you, who call yourself 
A nameless one, 

Remember, God is Love. 

{Enter Joseph of arimathea.) 

Joseph. Good peace, my friends. I am Joseph of Arima¬ 
thea. 

young man. Your servant was kind enough to bid me enter. 
I wait the dawn to make my pilgrimage unto the sepulcher. 

Joseph. Are you a follower of the Christ? 

young man. That am I, by God’s grace. 

Joseph. As I myself, no doubt. Until the moment he was 
crucified I doubted him. Then, with his death — that day in 
which my kinsmen nailed him to the tree — I understood. I 
long had thought Messias would come as a sovereign, with an 
army, and ambition for an earthly kingdom. He came a lowly 
man who spoke of life and love. Could I do less than give him a 
resting place, even a sepulcher? 

the woman. He had no earthly thing to call his own. 

Joseph. That is true, woman. I heard him say that he had 
not where to lay his head. . . . But you must all be very hungry 


Resurrection 


55 


and tired. When Gaza comes he will bring refreshments for us 
all. yVe will lay palms on the stone which guards the entrance 
to his grave. 

young man. Until then — ? 

Joseph. Until then let us be patient and pray. One of his 
disciples, a man who is no longer counted among the twelve, but 
one once trusted, met me a fortnight ago and taught me his Mas¬ 
ter’s prayer. It has often encouraged me during these last dark 
days. 

the nameless one. Judas taught you a prayer? 

Joseph. As Jesus taught it to him, yes. 

young man. And as you will teach it to us? 

Joseph. Come, then. ( He kneels and begins to pray , 66 Our 
Father who art in heaven. . . One after another they kneel 
during the prayer. Very softly , far in the distance , a choir be¬ 
gins to sing a triumphant resurrection hymn. The song con¬ 
tinues after the prayer is ended.) That was the prayer. ( The 
nameless one has gone to the window.) 

young man. May we now go to the sepulcher? 

the nameless one {excitedly). Master! 

Joseph. What is it? 

the nameless one. Someone is swinging a lantern and run¬ 
ning wildly up the path! 

the woman. Listen! ( The music has grown in volume imtU 
it floods the stage, gaza enters.) 

gaza. He is risen! 

(During a crescendo in the resurrection hymn the curtain 
falls). 


56 


Vesper Dramas 


SUGGESTED WORSHIP PROGRAM 

Organ Prelude : 66 Easter Morning on Mount Rubidoux ” 

Gaul 

Opening Sentences 

He died, and with him perished all that men hold dear; 

Hope lay beside him in the sepulcher, 

Love grew corse-cold, and all things beautiful beside 

Died when he died. 

He rose; with him rose hope and life and light; 

Men said, “ Not Christ but death died yesternight.” 

And joy and truth and all things virtuous, 

Rose when he rose. 

— Author unknown 

Gloria Patri 

Litany 

Leader: Triumphant Lord, whom enmity and spite could 
not embitter, pride and force could not break and even 
death and the grave could not contain: Thou art worthy 
to receive glory, honor, reverence and praise, for with 
thy resurrection came the assurance of the everlasting 
hope that rises within the human heart. Thou who didst 
turn the night of mourning into the morning of praise, 
accept our prayer of adoration and our litany of praise, 
and demonstrate thy favor by renewing in us thy spirit. 

For the boundless love which honored mankind by 
taking upon itself our human form, and subjecting itself 
to all our ills and limitations — 

Congregation: We thank and we adore thee, Lord. 

Leader: For the rugged humanness of him who took the 


Resurrection 


57 


children in his arms and blessed them, who supped with 
his treasured companions, and sought the solace of hill¬ 
side, lakeshore and synagogue — 

Congregation: We thank and we adore thee, Lord. 
Leader: For the gallant courage of him who lived our hu¬ 
man life in all its fullness, maintaining its dignity 
and never becoming common by contact with common 
things — 

Congregation: We thank and we adore thee, Lord. 
Leader: For the gracious pity of him who wept with those 
who mourned, who flung himself between men and their 
accusers, and won for himself the splendid reproach of 
being the friend of publicans and sinners — 
Congregation: We thank and we adore thee, Lord. 
Leader: For the tenacious faith of him who faced the 
cross without murmur or complaint and died with a 
prayer of pardon on his lips — 

Congregation: We thank and we adore thee, Lord. 
Leader: For the glorious triumph of love which conquered 
death, shattered the grave, rose in power on the third 
day, and guaranteed eternal life — 

Congregation: We thank and we adore thee, Lord. 

In unison: Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ, thou 
art the everlasting Son of the Father. Christ is risen; 
he is risen indeed. Because he lives, we shall live also. 
Choral Response : “ Glory Be to Thee, O Lord ” Gounod 
Scripture Lesson : Matt. 28:1—10 
Prayer 

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who didst bring 
from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great Shepherd 
of the sheep: Aid us now, we beseech thee, by thy Holy 
Spirit, that we may worthily celebrate his glorious resur¬ 
rection. Deliver us from all worldly thoughts and cares, 
so that we may truly and gladly worship thee, and, when 


58 


Vesper Dramas 


we leave thy house, be enlightened, comforted and fortified, 
to live a life of joyful trust, to love thee more fervently, 
and more faithfully serve thee. And this we ask through 
Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee, the Father, and 
the Holy Spirit, be ascribed all might, majesty, dominion, 
and power, world without end. Amen. 

— Hubert L. Simpson 
Offertory Solo : “ I Know that My Redeemer Liveth ” 

Handel 

Hymn : “ Crown Him with Many Crowns 99 
Presentation of the Drama 
Organ Postlude : “ Largo ” Handel 

Benediction, to be pronounced during the organ postlude: 

May the love of the great God of us all, which brought 
our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, live in you and estab¬ 
lish through you the work of his kingdom. Amen. 


THE WINDOW 


CHARACTERS 


SAMUEL CARDINGTON 

jean, his daughter, eighteen 
dick, his son, sixteen 

THE GHOST OF WAR 
A VOICE 

Scene: A room in the summer home of Samuel Cardington. 
Time: The present. 


THE WINDOW 


It is early evening, samuel cardington is seated in a com¬ 
fortable chair, his feet on a footstool. He has been paging 
through a newspaper, jean, his daughter of eighteen, is seated 
at a piano playing a portion of the “ Recessional 

cardington. I wish you’d stop that, Jean. 

jean ( turning to him, somewhat surprised). I didn’t know it 
bothered you. 

cardington. It doesn’t bother me exactly, but it’s so ridicu¬ 
lous to dig up every sentimental ditty just because it happens to 
be a holiday. 

jean. Memorial day,* you know. 

cardington. Humph! Memorial day. A day for pacifists 
and reformers, for men who have never encountered the cold 
facts of life — dreamers, poets, preachers! Yes, they can rant 
about peace on earth, good will to men. ( He folds the news¬ 
paper.) Where’s Dick? 

jean. At the club. Can I do anything for you, father? 

cardington. No, just let me sit here a while — you might 
tell Simmons to come in later. 

jean ( coming to his chair). I’m sorry about my playing. 

cardington. Forget it. Listen, Jean, there’s no use being 
sensitive about these things. 

jean. What do you mean? 

cardington. For over thirty years I’ve been in business 
manufacturing munitions. To kill? No, to protect. To pro¬ 
mote war? No, to make war less possible. Nothing can estab¬ 
lish peace as quickly as preparedness. Let each country be 
armed, fortified! 

* Any significant day or occasion may be substituted. 

61 


62 


Vesper Dramas 


jean ( interrupting with a gesture ). Let them stand pro¬ 
tected within their own walls! 

cardington. Exactly! 

jean {laughing). You see, I’ve heard your theories so often 
I know them by heart. 

cardington. The world will know them, too, before long. 
War is inevitable. There’s no use salving that truth with silly 
hymns and waving flags. Peace will come and come to stay 
only when one country is wise enough to dictate world policies, 
and powerful enough to draw harmony out of the discordant 
powers of the nations. Memorial day! Bah! It’s always a 
bad sign when intellect has to bow to emotion and flag-waving 
enthusiasm! 

jean {quietly). I always get all mixed up when you start 
talking like that. 

cardington. Well, they’re facts, and it’s facts we have to 
face! {He gets up and walks away , goes toward the piano, 
where he looks quizzically at the music Jean has played.) 

jean {remaining at the chair). I don’t know anything about 
preparedness or world policies, but I don’t ever want to be 
where war is going on. I don’t know anything about munitions 
and governments, but I never want to see anyone killed. 

cardington. That’s sentiment again — just what I’ve been 
talking about. Now, I say — 

jean {confronting him). Don’t you see, dad, whenever the 
word “ war ” is mentioned I think of Dick — always of Dick. 

cardington. That’s ridiculous. 

jean. Maybe it is, but he flashes into my mind immediately. 
I can’t think of him doing that — coming back wounded, crip¬ 
pled, perhaps — 

cardington. Nonsense! If war should come tomorrow — 
tonight — you’d both stay right here. Dick would work with 
me in the office or at the shops. Men who protect the govern¬ 
ment in time of peace will find the government protecting them 
in time of war. 


The Window 


63 


jean. There’s something awful about it. . ♦ . 
cardington {musing). Cardington Arms! If I could set 
my guns in every port, on every ship, in every strategic point — 
if I could get a monopoly, so to speak, on the world’s war ma¬ 
terials — I could insure peace indefinitely — indefinitely. . . . 


voice (coming from outside). 
power, but of love. . . . 

cardington ( simul tane- 
ously). What’s that? (jean 
goes to an open window at the 
other side of the room and 
looks out.) What is it? 


jean. A man is speaking 
in the park. 

cardington. There’s an 
ordinance against that. 

jean. Not many are lis¬ 
tening to him. 

cardington. Close the 
window. 


Peace is not the offspring of 

voice. Every war has 
made nations more conscious 
of the futility of war. Every 
war has made nations more de¬ 
termined for peace! Yet it is 
an appalling sacrifice when we 
think of it! Millions slaugh¬ 
tered before nations realize the 
folly of it all! Suffering, de¬ 
struction, and death before 
countries are made to under¬ 
stand. From the blood-soaked 
battlefields, from the hospitals 
where soldiers groan and die, 
from the hearts of mothers and 
loved ones, from the stagger¬ 
ing toll of recent wars, thank 
God, the thought of peace is 
taking hold of men. The 
Great Emancipator once said, 
“ It is for us, the living, to 
resolve that these dead shall 
not have died in vain.” Thus, 
today, it is for us, the living, 
to see that the principles of 
democracy and peace for 
which our loved ones gave their 
lives should not perish, but we 


64 


Vesper Dramas 


jean. He is a young man, 
dressed in — 


CARDINGTON (sharply). 
Close the window, Jean! 


should build them into the 
framework of international 
understanding, write them 
deep into the heart of human¬ 
kind. What does man require 
to impress him with the folly 
and everlasting misery of war¬ 
fare? Who can hold before 
his incredulous eyes the pain 
and awfulness of war — make 
him remember brother killing 
brother — show him man like 
himself steeped in the blood of 
his fellows — lead him through 
fields forested with crosses — 
through cities charred and sul¬ 
len with death — 

A man can’t have peace in his own home these 
Plain idiocy, I call it, out-and-out idiocy. Humph! 


jean. Yes, father. ( She 
closes the window; the voice is 
no longer heard.) 

CARDINGTON. 

days. 


Well, are you going to keep your nose pressed against the win¬ 
dow all evening? What are you doing, Jean? 
jean. Thinking. 

cardington. Thinking! Humph! (He has returned to 
his chair, seats himself and tries to interest himself in his paper. 
The lights gradually fade out, then come hack on with duller 
glow, cardington is asleep in the chair . In the shadows jean 
is dimly outlined near the window. The ghost of war, attired 
in helmet and cape, hooted and armed, comes in, approaches the 
chair, shakes Cardington's shoulders.) 

ghost of war. Mr. Cardington? Mr. Cardington? 
cardington ( coming out of his sleep). Well, what is it? 
ghost of war. I want to speak with you. 
cardington. Who are you? How did you get into the 
house? 


The Window 65 

ghost of war ( always in a low , foreboding voice) . Simmons 
let me in. 

cardington. Who are you? 

ghost of war. A visitor. Don’t you know me? Don’t you 
remember the October afternoon up in your office when I gave 
you the order for — 

cardington ( disturbed ). Sh—Yes, I remember. I be¬ 
came a rich man that day. Why are you here now? 

ghost of war {stealthily) . I need you, Cardington. I have 
been silent too long. I am growing poorer and older each day — 
just as you are growing poorer and older. How would you like 
to work for me again? 

cardington. Well, I — that is —What do you mean? 
ghost of war. I mean my business, Cardington — WAR! 
cardington. War? {He comes to his feet.) You mean mu¬ 
nitions? You want munitions? 

ghost of war. I want munitions. Your factories have been 
idle for a long time — your shops are deserted — you are go¬ 
ing down, down — down where, Cardington? Do we work to¬ 
gether? 

cardington {rationalizing) . I have a theory whereby peace 
for all the world could be assured with my munitions! 

ghost of war {highly amused). Oh-ho ! Ha-ha-ha! Peace 
with your munitions! 

cardington {stubbornly). It is my theory. {After a mo¬ 
ment) Well, what’s your game? But speak softly, my daughter 
is. . . . {He indicates.) 

ghost of war. Cardington, you turn out the goods — guns, 
tanks, gases. I’ll do the rest! 

cardington. You’ll do the rest? 

ghost of war. I told you I would come again — I told you 
I would not leave you for long. Are your shops in order? 
cardington. They can operate at a moment’s notice, but — 
ghost of war. That is well, Cardington. The gods of war 


66 


Vesper Dramas 


love those who are prepared. Ha-ha-ha! You are a man of 
intellect, my friend; you understand that war is an indispensable 
factor in civilization. 

cardington {uneasily). Yes, yes, I know — 
ghost of war. We’ll do this thing together, you and I, and 
when we’re through. . . . 

cardington. Yes — when we’re through? 
ghost of war. You’ll be more powerful than ever. Isn’t 
that enough? Power! You’ll leave a name for men to conjure 
with, and as for wealth — there is no limit to what you can make 
by serving me. You know that, don’t you, Cardington? 
cardington ( moving away). Speak softly. 
ghost of war. You have not the stamina you had in other 
days, my friend. You grow cautious —you fear — 

cardington ( turning to him) . What’s your plan? I’ll show 
you whether I fear or not! 

ghost of war. Good, my friend! You see, I have great 
hopes for us; for though men speak of peace, they think of war. 
And when they think of war they think of me. And when they 
think of me they think of Cardington. Not a bad cycle, eh, old 
man? 

cardington. Not bad, no. 

ghost of war. Now, here’s my plan — 

(dick cardington comes in, a lad of sixteen. He leaves the 
door open behind him.) 

dick. Good evening, dad. 

ghost of war. Is this your son, Cardington? 

CARDINGTON. Yes. 

dick. I’m Dick Cardington, sir. 

GHOST OF WAR. I See. . . . 

cardington. Why do you stare at him so? 
ghost of war. I’m thinking how different he is than when 
I saw him last. He was just a boy then, playing in your shops. 
cardington. Time flies. 


The Window 


67 


dick. I seem to remember you. 

ghost of war. Men do not forget me easily. I am a sort 
of universal figure. You would be honored if you knew the no¬ 
tables who have saluted me and paid me their respects. 
dick. Why are you here tonight? 

cardington. A friendly visit, Dick. Don’t be alarmed. 
ghost of war. Your father and I have matters of business 
to discuss. 

dick. Don’t stare at me! 

cardington. No, don’t stare at the boy. Your eyes are — 
dick. — as if the dead of war lay in them — bleeding! 
ghost of war. Ha-ha-ha! What else do you see in my eyes ? 
dick. A million crippled men trying to find a place to die! 
A million mothers on their knees! A million wives watching at 
their windows — they try to smile, but it is too late! They 
think of praying but you stretch your gnarled old fingers across 
their lips. I see a — 

cardington. Stop it! Stop staring at the boy! 
dick. I see a million cannon wheel to wheel — helmets rim to 
rim — 

cardington. Stop it, I tell you! 

ghost of war. Ha-ha-ha ! Don’t get excited, Cardington! 
dick. I see men raise their hands — 
ghost of war (m a gruesome voice). I want you, Dick. 
cardington. I’ll put an end to this! Get out of this room 
— the boy is mad! 

ghost of war ( advancing toward dick). I want you, Dick! 
dick. What are you trying to do to me? 
ghost of war ( clamping his hands on Dick’s arm). I’ve got 
you, Dick! 

cardington. Take your hands off that boy! Take your 
hands off him, I tell you! 
dick. Dad! 

ghost of war. Your father is a friend of mine! 


68 


Vesper Dramas 


cardington. Listen to me, Ghost of War, listen to reason! 
ghost of war. Reason ? You know how I listen to reason, 
old man! 

dick. You’re hurting my arm! 
cardington. Simmons! 

ghost of war. Why can’t we do this quietly? 
cardington. What do you want? 

ghost of war ( coming to him). Do Cardington’s shops 
start turning out munitions tomorrow? 
cardington. I told you they would. 

dick ( standing aside , afraid). I didn’t know there was any 
rumor of war. 

ghost of war. There is always a rumor of war. 
cardington. Why don’t you go now? 

ghost of war. I haven’t finished with you yet. In fact, I’ve 
just begun! 

voice. The war to end war must be fought by the soldiers of 
God. 

ghost of war ( turning toward the door quickly). What’s 
that ? 

cardington. Some raving pacifist. 
dick. I heard him as I came by. 

voice. Let us gird ourselves with the strength of brother¬ 
hood! ( The voice may continue ad lib.) 
cardington. Are you afraid ? 

ghost of war. Not of him, but of his words. I fear his 
words ! Close the door! 

voice. Who are we to say that we shall take life? Treat life 
lightly as though we had created it? 
dick. He is a young man — 
ghost of war. Well, close the door! Go on ! 
dick. All right, I will. (He goes to door.) 
voice. Who shall we say is responsible for wars? We who 


The Window 


69 


must fight them? We who must give our loved ones or lay down 
our own lives on its red altar? (dick closes the door. The 
voice is shut out.) 

ghost OF WAR. That’s better. Come here, Dick. 
cardington. What do you want with him? 
dick. Yes, what do you want with me? 

ghost of war. Cardington, you called me the Ghost of War. 
Well, the Ghost of War wants your son ! Do you hear? 
cardington. You won’t lay hands on him! 
ghost of war. You will not give him to me? 
cardington. No! Never! 

ghost of war. Then I shall take him by force. Can you 
understand that? 

cardington. By force? 

ghost of war. By force of arms ! Cardington Arms ! Ha- 
ha-ha ! Come to me, Dick! 
dick. Dad, I — 

ghost of war. * You needn’t fear me, Dick. I am your fa¬ 
ther’s friend. 

cardington. My friend? No longer! 

ghost of war. Listen, Cardington, when we last worked to¬ 
gether you helped me; now you stand in my way. You’ve had 
a sudden change of heart. Is it because — 
dick. I can’t turn from him! 

ghost of war. Is it because I want your son now? Is it be¬ 
cause the Ghost of War wants something that belongs to you? 
Is that it? 

cardington. I want nothing more to do with you! Now, go! 
ghost of war. Do you see this gun? 
cardington. Put it away! 

ghost of war ( jeeringly ). It is one of your guns, my friend. 
See here, on the cartridge case it says: Cardington Arms! 
dick. He’s pointing it at me! Can’t you do something? 


70 


Vesper Dramas 


cardington. Drop that gun! 

ghost of war. Cardington, I, the Ghost of War, want your 
boy! 

CARDINGTON. No-no ! 

dick. Dad! (A shot is fired, dick screams and falls.) 
cardington. Dick! Dick! 
ghost of war. Ha-ha-ha! Cardington Arms! 
cardington. Oh — God! ( Comes to Dick's side.) 
ghost of war. Where is Jean? 
cardington ( wheeling about , facing him). What? 
ghost of war. Oh, yes, there at the window — listening to 
the man in the park, eh? ( He starts toward her.) 
cardington. You’ll never touch her — never! 
ghost of war. I will unless she opens the window. Nothing 
can stop me but that. Come to me, Jean, (jean remains un¬ 
moved , remote from the action.) 
cardington. Jean! 
ghost of war. I want you, Jean ! 
cardington. Open the window ! Save yourself! 

{The ghost of war approaches her stealthily. He laughs. 
There is a quick black-out , the laughter is silenced. When the 
lights come back on they are of the same intensity as at the 
opening of the play, dick and the ghost of war are offstage. 
jean is just approaching her father's chair where he is asleep. 
She wakes him gently.) 
jean. Father. . . . 

cardington {opening his eyes). Jean! What is it? 
Where’s Dick? Are you all right? 

jean. Why, dad! {She laughs quietly.) You must have 
been dreaming. 

cardington. Dreaming? Wasn’t there a stranger — a visi¬ 
tor here just now? 

jean. Of course not. I’ve been over at the window all the 
time. May I open it as you said? 


The Window 


71 


cardington. Did I say that? 

jean. Yes, that’s what brought me to your chair. 
cardington. Is that all I said? 
jean. That’s all I heard you say. Why? 
cardington. Is the man in the park still speaking? 
jean. I think so — yes. 

cardington {slowly). Then, open the window, Jean. {She 
goes to the window and opens it.) 

voice. We seek only the good of the world and the security 
of all nations, that nations shall become one in faith, and all 
men brothers; that the bonds of affection between the sons of 
men shall be strengthened; that men may come to an under¬ 
standing of the glorious message of “ Peace on earth.” 

{The curtain has fallen during these final lines.) 


72 


Vesper Dramas 


SUGGESTED WORSHIP PROGRAM 

Organ Prelude : “ Death of Ase,” from Peer Gynt Grieg 

Call to Worship 

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good 
will towards men. 

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the 
children of God. 

I will hear what the Lord will speak, for he will speak 
peace unto his people. 

Invocation 

O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only 
Saviour, the Prince of Peace: Take away from our hearts 
all hatred and prejudice and whatsoever may hinder us 
from godly union and concord; through Jesus Christ our 
Lord. Amen. 

Hymn: “ God of the Nations, Near and Far ” 

John Haynes Holmes 

Responsive Reading 
Leader: 

These things shall be; a loftier race 

Than e’er the world hath known shall rise, 

With flame of freedom in their souls, 

And light of knowledge in their eyes. 
Congregation: How beautiful upon the mountains are the 
feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth 
peace, that bringeth good tidings of joy, that publisheth 
salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth. 
Leader: 

They shall be gentle, brave and strong, 

To spill no drop of blood, but dare 


The Window 


73 


All that may plant man’s lordship firm, 

On earth, and fire, and sea, and air. 

Congregation: And his delight shall be in the fear of the 
Lord; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, 
nor decide after the hearing of his ears; but with right¬ 
eousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity 
for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth 
with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips 
shall he slay the wicked. 

Leader: 

Nation with nation, land with land, 

Unarmed shall live as comrades free; 

In every heart and brain shall throb 
The pulse of one fraternity. 

Congregation: And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and 
the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and 
the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child 
shall lead them. 

Leader: 

New arts shall bloom of loftier mold, 

And mightier music thrill the skies, 

And every life shall be a song, 

When all the earth is paradise. 

Congregation: And he shall judge between the peoples, 
and shall decide concerning strong nations afar off; and 
they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their 
spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up 
sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any 
more. 

Scripture Lesson : Matt. 5 : 1-16 

Offertory Quartet: “ World Peace ” Harriet Case 

Prayer 

God of all nations, 

We pray for all peoples of the earth; 


74 


Vesper Dramas 


For those who are consumed in mutual hatred and bitter¬ 
ness, 

For those who make bloody war upon their neighbors, 

For those who tyrannously oppress, 

For those who groan under cruelty and subjection. 

We pray thee for all those who bear rule and responsibil¬ 
ity, 

For child races and dying races, 

For outcast tribes, the backward and the downtrodden, 
For the ignorant, wretched, and the enslaved. 

We beseech thee, teach mankind to live together in peace, 
No man exploiting the weak, nor hating the strong, 

Each race working out its own destiny. 

Unfettered, self-respecting, fearless. 

Teach us to be worthy of freedom, 

Free from social wrong, 

Free from individual oppression and contempt, 

Pure of heart and hand, despising none, defrauding none, 

Giving to all men in all the dealings of life 

The honor we owe to those who are thy children, 

Whatever their color, their race, or their caste. 

—A Book of Prayers for Use in an Indian College 
Hymn : “ God of Our Fathers, Known of Old ” Kipling 

Tune , “ Recessional ” Gower 
(The music continues as the play opens.) 
Presentation of the Drama 
Postlude : “ Recessional ” Gower 
Benediction, to he pronounced during the postlude: 

Peace be with you — the peace of God that passeth all 
understanding; peace be yours — the peace of Christ which 
no man can take from you. Peace go with you — the peace 
of love and good will to all mankind. Amen. 


THE COMING OF LIGHT 


CHARACTERS 


miles coverdale, a translator 
james nicholson, a printer 
antonia, his stepmother 
vesian, a woman spy 

corydon, a soldier under King Henry VIII 

Scene: London. 

Time: October 5, 1535. 

The curtain rises on a room dimly lighted by a single candle 
burning on a small table near a couch at back. What we see of 
the surroundings indicates little prosperity and the simple fur¬ 
nishings serve to make the place barely comfortable . Over the 
couch , however , a somewhat luminous icon is affixed to the wall , 
and if the light permitted we might distinguish the portrait of 
a Madonna and Child, 


THE COMING OF LIGHT 


After a moment of silence the door at right hack opens and 
admits two men. The first to enter is james nicholson, thirty. 
The other is miles coverdale, in his early fifties. Both men 
wear suits of the period. White collars, almost shoulder-wide, 
extend over their mantles. On their heads are tight-fitting skull¬ 
caps. 

james (in a whisper ). Antonia. Antonia. ( Turning to 
coverdale) Lay off your things. 

antonia ( from the couch). James? 

james ( crossing to the couch, speaking in a low voice). Yes, 
Antonia. Are you all right? 

antonia. You must not worry about me. (She sits up — 
an old woman and blind, with a kind , patient face.) 

james (giving her her cane). I have brought him here. 

antonia. Who ? 

james. Coverdale. Miles Coverdale, Antonia. You re¬ 
member — 

antonia. Oh, yes. ( Then, to herself) Miles Coverdale. . . . 
(james motions to coverdale, who lays a large manuscript on 
the table and comes over.) 

coverdale. Please don’t get up. (He gives her his hand.) 
James has told me about you, Antonia. 

antonia (remaining seated , clasping his hand). Miles 
Coverdale! ( With a smile) If I could see — what would he be 

like? 

james. Oh, he is tall and — 

coverdale (interrupting, genially). A homely old fellow, 
Antonia, with a pinched face and a nose as flat as if he had 

77 


78 


Vesper Dramas 


slept on it half his life. His chin is covered with a growth of 
beard as thick as London’s fog tonight. And if he’d take off 
his cap, which he never does, you would find a bald spot as big 
as your hand. 

antonia. But there’s a heart — of which you said nothing. 
{To herself) And the heart is everything. 

james. And that hand you hold, Antonia, that’s the hand 
that finished the first English Bible. And it is here — in this 
room. {He goes to the manuscript , looks at it amd lays off 
his mantle.) 

antonia. I know. ( Then , as she releases Cover dale's hand) 
You were careful? 

james. Yes. And we’ll be going into the bindery as soon as 
we have a bite of food. We have come a long way and with not 
a little difficulty. 

antonia. I’ll get it for you. {She starts to get up.) 

james. No, Antonia. {Coming to her with the manuscript) 
Here — this is it — {he puts it into her hands) — Coverdale’s 
Bible. It was printed in Antwerp and we are going to bind it 
here tonight. 

antonia {absorbed). The Bible in English. . . . 

coverdale. Yes, Antonia. The whole of the Scriptures — 
in English for the first time. 

james. Just as it says here, “ Translated out of German 
and Latin into English.” You know, Coverdale, I’d have 
changed that a bit. 

COVERDALE. Yes? 

james. I’d simply have said, “ Faithfully translated into 
English.” I think it would go better here in London if we 
wouldn’t give Germany any credit for it. 

antonia {gently). James — 

james {laughing). Forgive me, Antonia. {He goes toward 
hack and during the next speeches engages in setting the table 
with a few dishes and simple viands.) 


The Coming of Light 79 

coverdale. I rather think England won’t care much about 
the inscription. 

antonia. England will care only for light. But at what 
cost has this light come? {To herself) What cost. . . . 
{Then) What Wycliffe suffered we know. How John Huss died 
we know. And how Tyndale will die we have yet to see. 

james. Probably Tyndale will be released. When the book 
gets abroad — 

antonia. You say 66 when,” and you do well, James. When 
tyrants rule, the just die in their faith. {To coverdale) You 
worked with Tyndale, didn’t you? 

coverdale. Yes, I was near him when they tricked him to 
his arrest. Did you ever hear the account of that? 

james. Parts of it. {He lights two more candles.) 

coverdale. An agent whom Tyndale had often befriended 
invited him to dinner. As they passed a certain side-street the 
agent pointed his finger at Tyndale and indicated to some offi¬ 
cers who were approaching that this was their man. And so 
they seized him. So they seized Jesus once, and so they seized 
Huss of whom you spoke. So they may seize us, Nicholson. . . . 

antonia. God will shield you. 

coverdale. So we pray, Antonia. But whatever befalls it 
will be enough if only his Word is preserved. 

james {with inward fear) . There is danger, of course. But 
it was Cromwell himself who came to you with the commission 
to continue the translation. 

coverdale. Sometimes the bishops are stronger than roy- 
alty. 

antonia. Beware of the emperor. {Then, to herself ) Be- 
ware of the emperor. 

coverdale. What if it is God’s will that his book go forward 
with the blood of martyrs? Have you not heard it said, 
“ Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, 
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven ”? 


80 


Vesper Dramas 


antonia. Words of Jesus? 

coverdale (gently). You will hear them soon, Antonia, in 
your own language. Hear of the day the Master was followed 
by a great multitude — and to speak to them he went into a 
mount. Let me find it for you. . . . (He pages through the 
manuscript.) 

james. And what was that you told me about him restoring 
sight to the blind — and I said Antonia should hear that? 

antonia. Yes, that. . . . 

coverdale. Ah, there is so much. ... It is like being daz¬ 
zled by a sudden light — like finding oneself in a treasury after 
having looked for coins in the street. . . . Here, Antonia — 

antonia (leaning forward upon her cane). Yes? 

coverdale (reading). “And he cometh nigh unto Beth- 
saida; and they bring unto him one who is blind and beseech 
him to touch him. Jesus takes him by the hand and leads him 
away. Once out of the city Jesus spat upon the eyes and put¬ 
ting his hands upon the man asks if he can see anything. And 
the man says, I see men like trees walking and light has come 
unto me. And Jesus says, See that thou tell no man what has 
happened unto thee.” 

antonia. Blessed Master! And now unto us is that light 
come! 

coverdale. Yes, Antonia. And it will be worth everything 
that has been endured before — and everything that must be 
endured hereafter. 

antonia ( to herself). Men like trees walking. . . . 

coverdale ( absorbed) . Today — October fifth, 1535. Five 
years ago all copies of the Pentateuch were burned. And two 
years earlier some fifteen thousand copies of the first English 
New Testament translation were destroyed. I stood with Tyn- 
dale that night and he turned to me and said, “ I, too, am on 
the pyre.” 

james (disturbed). But there is no danger, Coverdale. 


The Coming of Light 


81 


King Henry has his divorce now and upon petition for an Eng¬ 
lish Bible he gave his consent. Doesn’t that show he is in sym¬ 
pathy with the church? 

antonia. Have you never learned, James, that men fear 
light more than the dark? 

coverdale ( to james). Are you afraid? 

james ( after a moment of silence ). I brought you here un¬ 
afraid, didn’t I? Tonight we bind God’s Word and tomorrow 
— why tomorrow I wouldn’t be afraid to show it to the king! 
I could attach an inscription saying, 44 To the Emperor and 
Prince King Henry the Eighth.” 

COVERDALE. No. 

james. Why not? 

coverdale. Because I have seen men suffer and die for this 
book. I have heard their prayers and they asked only that it 
should go to England undefiled. 

antonia (to herself). Men like trees walking. . . . 

coverdale. And also because God does not need the favor 
of kings and men. 

antonia. Now, one word more from the holy book and then 
a bite to eat. Have you light enough, James ? 

james. Yes, Antonia. 

coverdale ( opening the manuscript again). Where shall 
one turn? One might as well do as it was said of Luther, 44 He 
let God open the book for him.” And so he’d lay his German 
Bible before him and let it open where it would. So —here — 
you, Antonia, open it and wherever your fingers fall let that be 
the word for us tonight. 

antonia. God direct me then. For this may be his way of 
speaking to his children. ( She opens the manuscript and puts 
her fingers on a page.) 

coverdale ( reading). 44 Blessed is the man that walketh not 

in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, 
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the 


82 


Vesper Dramas 


law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that 
bringeth forth his fruit in — ” ( He is interrupted by a knock 
at the door.) 

james {whispering). Who is that? 
antonia. Go into the bindery — quickly — 
coverdale ( closing the book and guarding it). This will 
not be destroyed now. 

antonia ( getting up). Please — into the shop. ( The rap 
is repeated.) 

james. Yes, come. 

coverdale ( [he hides the manuscript on the couch). This is 
a better way. 

antonia. What have you done? 
coverdale. I have hidden it. 

antonia. Sit down then — here at the table. ( She starts 
toward the door , feeling her way with her cane. The men sit 
down at their places.) 

coverdale ( bowing his head). Our Father which art in 
heaven, hallowed be thy name. Let thy kingdom come. Thy 
will be fulfilled, as well in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us 
this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we for¬ 
give our debtors. But deliver us from evil. For thine is the 
kingdom and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. ( Mean¬ 
while antonia has opened the door to vesian, a woman in her 
early thirties , commonly attired.) 
antonia. Good evening. 

vesian ( just before the prayer is ended). Do men still pray 
that prayer in London? 

james ( when the prayer is ended). Were you looking for 
someone? 

vesian. I beg your pardon. I lost my way in the fog and — 

antonia. Who is it, James? 

vesian ( drawing away ). Is she — blind ? 


The Coming of Light 


83 


james. Yes. But who are you and — 

vesian. Won’t you believe me when I say I am lost? It is 
usually so, is it not? Men pray but when their spirits are 
tested they become as other men. I have been walking — half 
the night it seems — and I come here hungry. 

coverdale. Here, Nicholson, let her take my place. 
antonia. There will be plenty for all. ( She locks the door.) 
james. Of course. You have come into the home of James 
Nicholson, a printer. This is my stepmother, Antonia. And 
this is a friend. 

coverdale. Miles Coverdale. 

vesian (james has offered her his chair). Thank you. But 
where is your place now? 

james. Be welcome to what we have. 
vesian ( indicating antonia). And she? 
james. Antonia has eaten earlier tonight. 
antonia ( to herself as she goes to hack). Men like 
trees. . . . 

vesian. What is that she says? {For a few moments no 
one speaks, antonia sets out another plate.) 

antonia. You must eat, too, James. {He seats himself and 
partakes of the food with the others.) 

coverdale. The fog is bad tonight, isn’t it? 
vesian. Have you been out in it? 

coverdale. Oh, yes, earlier. {Again there is silence.) 
vesian. Are you — Protestants ? 
coverdale. We are. 

vesian. I thought you might be when I heard you pray. . . . 
antonia. Where were you going? 

vesian. I — {For a moment she is confused as the staring 
eyes of antonia turn in her direction.) 
james. It doesn’t matter. 

vesian. If I could trust you. But I can trust you after 
hearing you pray. ... I was going to a friend’s — to secure 


84 


Vesper Dramas 


some leaves of a German Testament. Why — why do you look 
at me so? Are you not in sympathy with the Bible? 

C0VERDA1.E. Do you read German? 

vesian. A little. But since there is no other way to get 
the Scriptures — Of course you have heard of William Tyn- 
dale. How easily he might have given England an English 
Bible. But he was too credulous — and he failed. 

c overdale. Why do you think he failed? 

vesian. Didn’t he? One night at Paul’s Cross they burned 
thousands of his Testaments. Some say that there are only 
two left in all England. The cardinal sat on his throne and 
watched them lead heretics to their death. They, too, were 
burned on the autumn night — and many of them were com¬ 
pelled to light the pyres with their own hands. Has Tyndale 
failed? 

coverdaIiE ( studying her). This German Bible you men¬ 
tioned — how was that brought to England? 

vesian. It was smuggled from Cologne. Of course you know 
that they have been smuggled into the country with flax since 
the embargo was lifted. 

antonia (still staring in her direction). And you love the 
Word of God so much that you will try and read it in a foreign 
tongue ? 

vesian. Someday, we hope, someone will again take up Tyn- 
dale’s work. 

coverdale. Tyndale is working now — in the Tower. 

vesian. No translation will ever come from the Tower. 
Nothing comes from the Tower but suffering. 

james. But Tyndale’s friends, what of them? Sir Mon¬ 
mouth — 

vesian. Sir Monmouth will be taken, too. That is, I fear 
he will be taken. (There is a moment of silence.) 

antonia (quietly , hut in a sinister voice). I wish I could 
see you — I wish I could see a woman who loves the Word of 


The Coming of Light 85 

God so much she’ll brave the London fog for it. (vesian stirs 
uneasily .) 

coverdale {strangely). Antonia. . . . 
vesian. Of course, I don’t want it only for myself. You 
see— {She turns from antonia, distracted.) Why does she 
stare at me like that? 

coverdale {intensely). How can she stare when she is 
blind? 

james. Antonia. . . . (antonia turns away.) 
vesian {her self-possession returning). No, I do not want 
it only for myself. Someone I know — dying — wanting a word 
of comfort. You are a printer. You should know where there 
might be a German Bible or a fragment of it. 
james. No, I do not. 

coverdale. Perhaps I could help you, my friend. {His 
eyes meet Vesian’s. There is a moment of silence.) 

vesian {uneasy under his gaze) . I know. We are all in this. 
We are all in danger, are we not? We know what they have 
done to those who have had traffic with the book — how they 
have cut off their hands and gouged out their eyes. And you — 
{She looks squarely at coverdale.) 
coverdale ( quietly). Yes — I? 

vesian. I do not know your business, but you and I, even 
she — {she indicates antonia) — we are all under suspicion if 
we profess to be interested in the Scriptures. 

coverdale. Shouldn’t that make us feel a kinship one with 
the other? Didn’t the Master say, “ When ye have lifted up 
the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I am he . . . and then 
are ye my disciples indeed ”? 

vesian. You know the Scriptures well. . . . 
antonia {half to herself). “And he shall be like a tree, 
planted by the rivers of water. . . .” 

vesian {getting up). Well, I thank you for your kindness. 
james. But where are you going? 


86 


Vesper Dramas 


vesian ( becoming more crafty). To continue my search and 
hoping that heaven will help me to success. 

coverdale (quietly). How would you like God to speak to 
you in your own tongue— in English? 

vesian. Oh, sir, will we ever see that day? 
antonia (as before). 66 Blessed are they that are persecuted 
for righteousness’ sake. . . .” 

vesian. Why does she keep saying those things? 
james. Antonia. . . . 

coverdale ( quietly , to vesian). You are afraid. 
vesian. Do you know where there is a Bible? 
coverdale (after a moment). Yes. (antonia gasps au¬ 
dibly. There is a moment of suspense.) 
vesian. You are very kind. 

james (betraying a certain fear). Coverdale, if we — 
coverdale (going to the couch). Yes, I know where there 
is a Bible. 

antonia (in a whisper). Blessed Master — 
vesian. Well — 

coverdale (returning with the manuscript). You see be¬ 
fore you, my friend, the Bible in your own tongue. English 
— for which the king has scattered blood. It is here, the words 
of the prophets, the apostles, and the Master. 
vesian. The English Bible — 
james. The English Bible. 
coverdale ( to vesian). Now, read. 
vesian (nervously). Why should I read? 
antonia (almost sharply). You have eyes to read. 
coverdale. For this reason it has come to you, my friend! 
vesian ( nervously , attempting to hide her eagerness ). Let 
me see the front of it. 
antonia. Beware! 
james. Antonia. . . . 


The Coming of Light 


87 


coverdale {showing vesian the title page). There — 
vesian {reading). “ Translated out of German and Latin 

into English by Miles Coverdale.” ( She looks at him.) I see! 
{Then) You men are very brave! 

antonia {excitedly) . Judas has come! 

vesian. Yes! {Her whole attitude changes and she attempts 
to get possession of the manuscript, coverdale is too quick 
for her and keeps it firmly in hand.) 
james. Spy! 
antonia. Spy! Spy! 

coverdale ( to vesian). What you would do, do quickly! 
vesian ( bitterly , jeering). Save yourselves! {She rushes 
to the door , throws aside the holt and is gone.) 
james. Spy! 

antonia. You must go — both of you! 
james {to coverdale). Did you suspect? 

COVERDALE. Yes. 

antonia. Quick — go quickly! God will protect you. 
coverdale. God will protect us here as well. 
james {who has gone for his mantle). You are staying! 
coverdale. We came here to bind the Word of God. Let 
us go on with it. 
james. Not I! 

coverdale. We cannot turn back. 

antonia. For the sake of the Word — take it, and fly. In 
a moment they will be here. 

coverdale. And why should we leave you, since we have all 
been spied upon? Isn’t there danger for you as well? 
james. We must all go ! 

antonia. No danger will come to me. ... For me this 
little room has always been the world. Into it tonight has 
come a great light. I ask no more. {She swoons slightly.) 
james. Antonia! 


88 


Vesper Dramas 


antonia. A great light! 

coverdale ( he and james 'proceed to take her to her couch ). 
And you think we would leave } r ou? 

antonia ( her voice weaker). You must not think of me. 
james. Quietly now, Antonia, and lie still. 
antonia. If I could have seen her. . . . 
coverdale. You did see her, Antonia, better than any of us. 
But the Master came not to send peace but a sword, and tonight 
that sword will strike our hearts. 

antonia. Let nothing stand between England and the Word 
of God. 

COVERDALE. No. 

james. Here, drink this, Antonia. Then let me get a doc¬ 
tor for you. 

antonia. No. It will pass again. But if I were going — 
to Him — 

james. Oh, Antonia — 

antonia {in a weaker voice ). If this were the hour appointed 
for me — 

coverdale. Don’t try to speak now. 
antonia. Bring me the light. 
james. What ? 
antonia. His Word. 

james ( softly to coverdale). I’ll go for someone. Wait 
here. And if anyone comes — 
coverdale. Have no fear. 

james (at the door). And bolt this door. (He goes.) 
antonia. His Word. ... For this, too, was his Word 
given — that when men came to die — when darkness came — 
they might have light. . . . James ? 

coverdale. James will be back, Antonia. 
antonia. James must not be afraid. 

COVERDALE. No. 

antonia. But I was afraid. And I was afraid of this hour 


The Coming of Light 


89 


— before his Word came to me. . . . Read. ( Very softly) 
6i He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water — ” 
coverdale {reading). “ And he shall be like a tree planted 

by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his sea¬ 
son ; his leaf also shall not wither ; and whatsoever he doeth shall 
prosper. The ungodly are not so; but are like the chaff which 
the wind driveth away.” ( There is a knock at the door.) 
“ Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment — 99 
corydon ( outside , simultaneously with Coverdale 9 s next 
reading). Is anyone there? Open, please. Open in the name 
of the king! I say, are you going to open — 

(A heavy hand is laid on the door and corydon, finding it un¬ 
locked, enters . He is straight , severe , attired as a soldier of the 
king. He stops instinctively as he sees the dim figures of cover- 
dale and antonia and hears the voice of coverdale complete 
the Bible reading.) 

coverdale. “ — nor sinners in the congregation of the 
righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous ; but 
the way of the ungodly shall perish.” 

antonia. Blessed Master, keep and preserve thy Word and 
thy servant from harm! (She repeats these words as a whis¬ 
pered prayer during the next few speeches.) 

corydon ( standing motionless ) . Miles Coverdale! I arrest 
you in the name of his Majesty King Henry the Eighth! 
coverdale (quietly). On what charges, my friend? 
corydon. Heresy! 

coverdale. How do they accuse me of heresy? 
corydon (not moving from his place). Will you come? 
coverdale. One word. I am under commission of his Ex¬ 
cellency Sir Thomas Cromwell. 

corydon (interrupting sharply) . The king has obligations 
to others besides Thomas Cromwell. It is forbidden that any 
man should have or draw any text of Holy Scripture into Eng¬ 
lish without license of the bishop. Will you bring your book and 


90 Vesper Dramas 

come or shall I — (antonia gets up slowly, corydon looks at 
her.) 

antonia. And what will be done to him? 
corydon. We have a Tower in London. And we have fire. 
coverdale ( close to antonia). Ask, rather, what will be 
done to the book. 

antonia. Nothing! I will keep it! I will keep it and no 
one shall take it from me. ( She has taken the hook from cover- 
dale and shields it with her remaining strength.) Let them 
gouge out my dead eyes — let them take my life, for my life is 
already spent. But take this book from me and all England will 
rise against the king! 

james ( having entered). Antonia! ( He comes to her side.) 

antonia. All England will rise against the — king. ( Then , 
softly) No — another must shield the book. You — James — 
and— (coverdale takes the hook from her failing hands and 
they lay her on the couch.) 

corydon ( sharply , hut not moving). Enough of this! 
antonia ( scarcely audible). Our Father who art in heaven. 
. . . (She continues the prayer through the next speeches. 
james is at her side.) 

coverdale ( to corydon). What will you do? 
corydon {advancing). Remember Huss and Tyndale! {A 
moment of silent suspense.) You are not afraid? 

coverdale. No, my friend. God has watched over me until 
this hour and I have no doubt he will guard me now. 
corydon. A daring fellow, eh? 
coverdale. No, a servant. 
corydon. But not of the king. 
coverdale. Of a King, yes! 

corydon. And you, printer, if you value your tongue — 
come along! 

coverdale. We value nothing henceforth save to do the 
will of God! 


The Coming of Light 


91 


corydon. Once more — give me that book! 
coverdale. Come, take it. (corydon advances a few steps 
threateningly .) 

james. Give it to him! 
coverdale {sharply). Never! 

corydon. With one thrust of this sword I can send both you 
and your blasphemous book into perdition. 

coverdale. My Master vanquished perdition. Think you 
his Word can then perish therein? 

james. Let me speak! {To coverdale) Don’t you know 
that what he says is true? So strong is Henry’s arm that even 
the church has learned to bow to it. Now, why should we — we 
who are in possession of the most hated and most loved of treas¬ 
ures — why should we sacrifice ourselves and it upon these 
strange altars? Are we not men? Then let us reason together. 
Is there no alternative? {To corydon) What do you wish but 
to please your king? 

corydon. What talk is this? 

james (to coverdale) . And what do you wish but to please 
your heavenly King by making his Word known to our country¬ 
men? 

coverdale. I wish nothing save that. Neither life nor re¬ 
nown. 

corydon (to james) . You are very shrewd. 
james {to corydon). If, then, to please your king you 
could bring him this book — not for him to destroy, but for him 
to disseminate among his subjects — 
coverdale. What are you saying? 

james. Once I overheard that the king was willing to answer 
the request of the convocation. He is to have said, “ If the 
Bible, as Tyndale predicted, is to be born in exile, I will nourish 
it on English soil.” Do you not see? Here it is — complete — 
to receive his commendation ! 

I will be blunt. Let that honor be mine and I 


CORYDON. 


92 Vesper Dramas 

will shield you both and see that the book reaches King Henry’s 
hands. 

coverdale. The Word of God needs no commendation from 
an earthly king! 

corydon. Stubborn fellow! You forget there are guards 
and soldiers even now within call. Guards and soldiers who 
would rather have the request of the bishop fulfilled than the 
whims of the emperor. 

james. Coverdale, don’t you see? Perhaps this, too, is the 
hand of God! 

antonia. Anything — that light may come! 

james. Yes, Antonia! 

coverdale {quietly). Anything— that light may come? 

corydon {impatiently). Well? 

coverdale. And why do you think this book would so 
quickly find favor in the eyes of the king? 

james. Print on the book these words, “ To the Most Noble 
and Gracious King Henry the Eighth this Book is dedicated by 
his humble subject, Miles Coverdale.” {To corydon) Isn’t 
that the way? 

corydon {significantly). I know the emperor. . . . 

james. I will print it at once and bind it together. 

antonia. That light may come. . . . 

coverdale. Yes, Antonia. {He turns the manuscript over 
in his hands.) Here is the light of the world — made brighter 
by the blood of those who loved it. Born in exile — yes, that is 
what Tyndale said. And I ask only that it bring the exiled back 
to God. 

james. Surely there is need for diplomacy here if we would 
gain our ends. 

coverdale. I will make a confession unto you. I was loath 
to meddle with this work of translating because I realized my 
own insufficiency therein and recognized that I was lacking in 


The Coming of Light 


93 


tongues. Notwithstanding, when I considered how great pity it 
was that we should want it so, and the desire of many others to 
translate it — others even less able than I — I made bold to 
undertake the work from necessity. But to say the truth before 
God, it was neither my labor nor desire to have this work put 
into my hands. 

james. God bless you, Coverdale! 

corydon. We care not what power drove you to the writing 
of it. Come, then, inscribe it to the emperor! Where is your 
printery? 

james. This way. {He indicates a door at left.) But — 
{indicating antonia). 

coverdale. Go. I will stay with her. 

corydon {to coverdale). Will you give it to me? 

coverdale {handing him the manuscript) . I do not give it 
to you. It is placed into your hands by the spirit of Wycliffe, 
and Huss, and Luther. Take it, and God grant you hold your 
word. 

james. This way, sir. {He and corydon exit into the 
bindery.) 

coverdale {quietly after they have gone). Even here — 
diplomacy? 

antonia. What is it you say? 

coverdale {coming to her). Antonia — that book— if it 
is not in the hearts of men it will avail nothing. 

antonia. But being there it will rob even death of its terror. 

coverdale {absorbed). To the Most Noble and Gracious 
Prince King Henry the Eighth. . . . Antonia, sometimes I fear. 
. . . And someday England may ask how much of Tyndale’s 
courage was mine. 

antonia. No, my friend, someday England will say that 
only in this manner could it have gotten its Bible freely into 
the hands of its subjects. 


94 


Vesper Dramas 


coverdale. Then you don’t think his Word will suffer for 
what I have done tonight — dedicating this book to a tyrant 
king? 

antonia. God has strange ways and strange men to work 
his will. This night an English Bible finds its place in English 
hearts. 

coverdale. I pray you may be right, Antonia. (He kneels 
beside the couch.) 

antonia (placing a hand upon his head ). And may He bless 
his humble subject — Miles Coverdale. 

CURTAIN 


The Coming of Light 


95 


SUGGESTED WORSHIP PROGRAM 

Organ Prelude : “ Invocation ” James H. Rogers 
Call to Worship 

The sacred Book no longer suffers wrong, 

Bound in the fetters of an unknown tongue, 

But speaks with plainness art could never mend, 

That simplest minds can soonest comprehend. 

— Cowper 

Hymn : “ O Word of God Incarnate 99 W. W. How 
Responsive Reading 

Leader: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet — 
Congregation: And a light unto my path. 

Leader: I have sworn and have confirmed it — 
Congregation: That I will observe thy righteous ordi¬ 
nances. 

Leader: 

Lamp of our feet, whereby we trace 
Our path when wont to stray; 

Stream from the fount of heav’nly grace, 

Brook by the traveler’s way. 

Congregation: 

Word of the ever living God, 

Will of his glorious Son; 

Without thee how could earth be trod, 

Or heaven itself be won? 

Leader: 

Lord, grant us all aright to learn 
The wisdom it imparts ; 

And to its heavenly teaching turn 
With simple childlike hearts. 


96 Vesper Dramas 

Solo, to follow immediately the Responsive Reading: 

“ Break Thou the Bread of Life ” Lathbury 
Scripture Reading: Ps. 119:1-16 

Quartet : “ How Precious is the Book Divine ” Fawcett 
Offertory Solo : “ O Saviour, Hear Me ” Gluck 
Offertory Dedication 

Bless thou the gifts our hands have brought; 

Bless thou the work our hearts have planned; 

Ours is the wish, the will, the thought; 

The rest, O Lord, is in thy hand. 

Prayer 

Our Father in heaven, we thank thee for the brave souls 
who dreamed of a humanity enlightened by thy word. 
Thou didst give them conviction of truth and courage to 
face the oppressor, determined, above all things, to bring 
the light of thy Word into the world. May we share in both 
their conviction and their courage. Help us to believe that 
the Bible has a living message for us this day, and give us 
courage to storm the bulwarks of the indifference which 
threatens its destruction. We believe, our Father, that this 
day needs the strength and vision which can come alone 
from the pages of the divine Book. Make us Bible believ¬ 
ers, Bible interpreters and Bible lovers. Lead us through 
a study of its pages to a better understanding of thy king¬ 
dom and its expanding power upon this earth. We pray 
in the name of him who has been revealed in the pages of 
thy holy Book, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 

Hymn : “ More Light Shall Break ” Allen Eastman Cross 

Presentation of the Drama 

Benediction 

Grant, O God, thy peace 
To these who, through this hour, 

Have worshiped thee. 

Who in this quiet place have felt 


The Coming of Light 


97 


Their souls’ release, God’s hush of peace. 

God grant to these the power of Christ, 

That lifts all life and calms all strife. 

He is the Way, the Truth, the Light. 

Abide with him 
Forever. Amen. 

Organ Postlude : “ Allegro ” from Trio Sonata No. 5 


Bach 





THE WIDOW’S MITE 


CHARACTERS 

talomai, a widow of Jerusalem, about fifty 
uriel, her son, eighteen 
benar, a friend of Uriel 9 s 

Scene: Jerusalem. 

Time: During Jesus’ministry. 

A room in Widow Talomai 9 s home — a low, sparsely fur¬ 
nished chamber, with somber walls showing stones in their natu¬ 
ral state. There is an open doorway at left. This leads to the 
only other room in the house and subsequently out of doors. A 
little window at back looks out over a small open yard and the 
straggly street beyond, with its houses of the same natural stone. 

In the room is a table upon which are a number of scrolls „ 
The chairs match this table in rough, homemade appearance. 
On a piece of shelving, which seems to be a niche in the wall it¬ 
self, are a number of vases and miscellaneous objects. 


THE WIDOW’S MITE 


The light is that of a dull mid-afternoon and the only illumina¬ 
tion comes through the window. It is sufficiently light, however, 
for us to observe the Widow talomai, a spirituelle woman of 
some fifty years, attired in a simple tunic of gray material. Her 
feet are in sandals. At the table is her son, Uriel, studiously 
bent over an open scroll. He is a rather attractive, dark, strong¬ 
appearing fellow of eighteen. He wears a white undertunic 
over which is thrown a darker capelike piece. 

TALOMAI. 

This is the day 
On which the temple vaults 
Await men’s gifts 
Unto the Lord. 

URIEL. 

Well, what is that to us? 
talomai (quietly). 

Nothing, I fear. . . . 

Uriel ( pointedly). 

Save that it is a dark reminder 
Of the Lord’s forgetfulness 
Of such as we. 
talomai (gently). 

Uriel. . . . 
uriel (stubbornly). 

Well, ’tis true. 

It is no pleasant thought 
To be reminded we are 
Beggar-poor. 


101 


102 


Vesper Dramas 


Just yesterday 
I heard a Pharisee 
Refer to you as 
Starving Widow Talomai. 

That’s pleasant for thy son to hear! 
talomai (patiently). 

The Pharisees — 

I pity them! 

This day they stand 
Within the market squares, 

And call the populace 
To watch them cast their gifts 
Into the treasury. 

URIEL. 

I’ve seen them there — 

TALOMAI. 

Think you 
That God delights 
In such display? 
uriel (bitterly). 

I know he prospers them. 

I know they wear 

Great jewels upon their hands, 

And clothe themselves 
In dazzling vestury. 

I know they have 
Enough to eat. 

That’s more than — 
talomai (coming to him). 

Uriel — 

Let us thank God 
For what we have. 

Uriel (irked). 

What have we? 


The Widow’s Mite 


103 


talomai ( visualizing ). 

Life and hope, 

Jehovah’s sky above our heads, 
A bowl of bread, 

And hands to clasp ! 

We have the firm, warm earth 
Beneath our feet. . . . 

Uriel {with a shrug ). 

And there you stop. 

TALOMAI. 

Nay, much more have we, 

My son. 

URIEL. 

All this 

The others, too, may boast — 
The others who today may fling 
Their gold into the treasury. 

All this have they! 

If this be justice — 

TALOMAI. 

God is judge! 

Uriel ( rising , distracted ). 

The bit I make 
Is made as sweating slave 
For these ungodly but 
All-blessed rich. 

TALOMAI. 

Whether ungodly 
Or all-blessed, Uriel, 

Jehovah will decide, 

Not we. 

URIEL. 

It is no pleasant thought 
To feel condemned 


104 


Vesper Dramas 


To slavery and oppression! 

And why? 

Because my father 
Sought a goodly walk 
And died well-nigh a mendicant! 
Because my mother is content 
With what she hath. 

TALOMAI. 

Content? 

Nay, not content. 
tjriel ( continuing ). 

Because the men of wealth 
And gold-won sovereignty 
Have me beneath their thumbs ! 

I say, revolt! 

Rebel! 

Then come what will! 

TALOMAI. 

How foolishly we measure life! 

Uriel ( darkly ). 

Well — 

To me it seems 
That God is on the side 
Of those who have the moneybags. 
talomai (half to herself ). 

They tell me of a Nazarene, 

Who is a craftsman’s son — 

Uriel ( unheeding ; picking up his scroll ). 
Even in this tale I read 
It says, “ The man was blessed, yea, 
His cattle fed upon a thousand hills 
talomai (as before ). 

They say that he 
Was born in Bethlehem, 


The Widow’s Mite 


105 


Within a manger, 

Years ago; 

And that a star 

Stood o’er the city through the night. 

Uriel (opening the scroll , he reads). 

Give heed: 

“ Call that man blest who sees the sun 
Her course within his kingdom run! ” 
talomai {absorbed). 

Some say he is Messias. . . . 

Uriel {arrested). 

Who? 

TALOMAI. 

The craftsman’s son 
Of Galilee. 

URIEL. 

Yes, I’ve heard. {He lays the scroll aside.) 

TALOMAI. 

Uriel — 

URIEL. 

Well? 

TALOMAI. 

I heard a rabbi read 
Within the synagogue 
A portion of a prophecy 
Which said, 

“ Bring now your tithes 
Unto the Lord, 

And prove me now herewith, 

If I will not open unto you 
The windows of heaven; 

Yea, I will pour you a blessing 
That there shall not be room enough 
To receive it.” 


106 


Vesper Dramas 


URIEL. 

Aye, that were well enough 
If it fulfilled itself. 

TALOMAI. 

I care not whether 
It fulfills itself or no. 

That is no gift 

Which reaches for reward. 

Jehovah is no bargainer. 

( Impulsively ) 

O, Uriel, 

For what we have 
Of love and light, 

Let us rejoice. 

URIEL. 

Try putting love and light 
Into the treasury. 

They’d laugh the gift 
To scorn. 

’Tis gold by which 

They measure the gift’s worth; 

Silver and gold! 

And we have nought — 
talomai (quietly). 

Nay, 

We have a single mite 
Left in the house. 

URIEL. 

A mite. . . . 

And I recall 
From whence it came. 

Not mine the slavery 
That day — but thine. 


The Widow’s Mite 


107 


For some such lowly task 
As would offend a servant’s dog — 

For this the jeweled hand 
Threw you a mite. 

TALOMAI. 

You work as hard, 

My son. 

URIEL. 

I am a man, 

Full-grown! 

And you, you are — 

(He hesitates , looking at her; then instinctively the word 
draws him to her ) — 

My mother. 

Let me remember it! 

And when the world’s injustice 
Gnaws upon me bitterly — 

When I cry out as now 
Against our lowly state, 

Let me remember it! 

Then, when I question 
What I have for thankfulness, 

For need, for hunger, 

And for insult’s pang, 

Bid me recall 
That I have thee — 

My mother Talomai! 

TALOMAI. 

Jehovah bless thee, Uriel! 

As thankfulness 

For this awakened love — 

This quick reminder 
Of our blessed share 


108 


Vesper Dramas 


And God’s great hand — 

I, too, would go 
Unto the treasury. 

URIEL. 

To the treasury? 

One goeth there to give, 

Not to receive. 

TALOMAI. 

To give — 

Yea, I would give 
That which I have 
Unto the Lord. 

URIEL. 

You’d take the mite? 

The one for which 

You slaved beneath the sun? 

The last real piece 
Of earthly coinage 
We possess? 

TALOMAI. 

Speak not of it 
As though it were 
Some coin of Antioch. 

URIEL. 

To us it is 

More precious than the rest, 
Since it is all we have; 

And you would 
Take it to the treasury! 

TALOMAI. 

Not to the treasury, 

But to God. 

URIEL. 

They’ll set your gift to ridicule. 


The Widow’s Mite 


109 


TALOMAI. 

I’ll go. 

URIEL. 

They’ll cry, 

“ Here comes 

The starving Widow Talomai 
Unto the treasury! ” 

I know these temple fellows. 
talomai (taking the mite from a jar on the shelf). 

I’ll go. 

URIEL. 

They’ll laugh at you. 

TALOMAI. 

I’ll veil my face. 

The mite I’ll quickly drop 
And then return. 

Nought need be said; 

No one need know. 

URIEL. 

But this is madness ! 

talomai (putting a scarf over her head). 

I’ll be a moment — 

URIEL. 

Mother! 

TALOMAI. 

God keep thee, Uriel. 

(She goes. Uriel looks out of the window and then returns 
to his table and his scrolls. After a moment he is greeted by a 
young man who enters, benar is dressed in a girdled under¬ 
tunic , cloak, headpiece and sandals.) 

BENAR. 

Peace to thee, Uriel. 

URIEL. 

Peace to thee, Benar. 


110 


Vesper Dramas 


benar. 

Why so engaged? 

URIEL. 

These scrolls, I know, 

Are idleness, 

But yet companionable 
While one must rest 
Throughout these holy days. 
(A bell rings faintly outside .) 
What’s that? 

benar (going to the window). 
Come see! 

The old landowner, Issachar, 
Is on his way 

To patronize the treasury. 
His servant 
Rings the bell. 

URIEL. 

What mockery! 
benar (at the window). 

Now he smiles — 

The old grasper! 

See how those 
Gaping townsmen 
Gather round. 

(uriel joins him at the window.) 

URIEL. 

Now he holds high 
A moneybag. 

BENAR. 

Look there — 

A beggar asks for alms. 

Just as I thought — 

Him Issachar denies 


The Widow’s Mite 


111 


A single mite! 

(The bell is heard trailmg away in the distance .) 
Uriel ( thoughtfully ). 

A mite, 

A single mite. . . . 

benar ( looking at him quest ioningly ). 

You were thinking, 

I suppose, how trivial a mite 
Would be, 

When cast into the treasury. 

Uriel ( at the table). 

Aye. 

BENAR. 

They’ll have none of them! 

I’ve seen the guards 
Rebuke one wretch 
For giving less than half a shekel. 

URIEL. 

’Tis so today, Benar, 

That in the synagogue 
As everywhere 
He is most favored, 

Most beloved, 

Who has a goodly purse. 
benar ( coming into the center of the room). 

Now comes this Nazarene — 

He whom some call 
Messias. 

He cometh to this gold-mad world, 

Not as a king — ah, no; 

But as he styles himself, 

“ A servant unto men.” 

Uriel {absorbed). 

Yea. 


112 Vesper Dramas 

benar ( with quiet disdain). 

Thou can’st well see 
How he will fare! 

We waited one 

Who’d come in sovereignty, 

With armies at his call, 

A flaming sword in hand — 

One who would wrest 

The scepter from the lazy rich! 

He comes 

“ A servant unto men.” 

This cannot be 
Messias. 

Uriel ( half to himself , visibly impressed). 

He cometh then 
As one of us? 
benar. 

’Tis said he sleeps within the hills. 

He feeds — like the mad prophet — 

On what he finds at hand. 

And for — 

Uriel ( quietly , as his mother spoke earlier). 

’Tis said 

A star stood over Bethlehem. . . . 
benar ( unheeding ). 

And for his subjects 
He has called 
Some fishermen. 

There’s concourse for a king! ( He laughs .) 

URIEL. 

Some say 

He healed blind Bartemus. 
benar ( not hearing). 

He cannot even boast 


The Widow’s Mite 


113 


A crown! 

When asked about a kingdom 
He replied, 

“ My kingdom is not of this world.” 
A king indeed! 

URIEL. 

’Tis said 

He raised to life 

The dead child of Jairus. 

BENAR. 

I’ve heard that tale. 

{Then, in a lighter tone ) 

I wondered, Uriel, 

If you would wish 
To go to Gidon square 
With me. 

There’s to be music there tonight. 

URIEL. 

I must wait Talomai. 

BENAR. 

Thy mother — 

( Smiling ) 

Has she, too, gone 
To the treasury? 

Uriel {-flaring). 

What if she has ? 

BENAR. 

I meant no harm, my friend! 

I, too, am numbered with 
The poor. 

Therefore I feel 
We might as well 
Jest of our lot 
As mourn of it. 


114 


Vesper Dramas 


URIEL. 

Before the eyes of men 
We may be poor, 

’Tis true. 

But there’s a God, I hope, 

Who sees the heart of such 
As our mothers, 

Yours and mine! 

And when Messias comes, 

As it is prophesied, 

He’ll look upon the soul 
Of man. 

BENAR. 

For such we hope. 

URIEL. 

He’ll say — well, 

As some hold 

This Nazarene has said, 

“ The pure in heart, 

They shall be seen of God; 

The poor and meek, 

And those who thirst, 

Shall at the last be filled.” 

BENAR. 

And Talomai 

Has gone unto the temple treasury? 

URIEL. 

Aye, that she has; 

To drop a single mite, 

For which she labored 
Steadily. 

BENAR. 

There’ll be small thanks 
In that. 


The Widow’s Mite 


115 


URIEL. 

Nor does she look for it. 

She brings it, as she says, 

Unto her God. 

BENAR. 

Her faith be blest. 

URIEL. 

’Tis more than mine, 

I know. 

Our faith, Benar, 

Grows less with passing days. 

We see the odds 
Set up against us 
Who are poor. 

BENAR. 

Aye, that we do. 

URIEL. 

It was an evil day 
On which we turned our gaze 
From God to man! 

There’ll be no peace for us 
Again. 

benar (having crossed back to the window ). 

Here comes your mother now. 

How quietly she walks. 

URIEL. 

The poor have need 
Of quiet walk, Benar. 

BENAR. 

The step of Issachar 
Will beat a surer tread 
When he returns. 

talomai ( entering; her face is touched by a strange light). 
God’s peace to thee, Benar. 


116 


Vesper Dramas 


benar. 

And unto thee. 

Uriel ( with just a hint of irony). 
Well, mother, 

You need not fear to speak. 

I’ve told Benar 
Of your enrichment 
Of the treasury. 

BENAR. 

And I approved your courage — 
Though I could 
Scarce justify your act. 

URIEL. 

You brought your mite 
Unto the treasury? 
talomai {laying her headpiece aside). 
Yea, Uriel. 

URIEL. 

We may, I take it, 

Now expect fulfillment 
Of the prophecy 
Which calls the doors 
Of heaven to unloose 
Their riches on our heads? 

TALOMAI. 

No prophecy need wait 
To prove my gift, 

My son. 

The only riches 
We may gather here 
Are those we reap 
From our own laboring. 

BENAR. 

Such is our lot, kind Talomai. 


The Widow’s Mite 


117 


talomai ( her face radiant). 

But for my little gift 
I have my great reward. . . . 

URIEL. 

Well? 

TALOMAI. 

I have this day 

Seen Jesus, whom men call 

The promised one! 

URIEL. 

You saw him? 

BENAR. 

The Nazarene? 
talomai ( with emotion). 

I saw the Nazarene! 

Just as I dropped 
The mite into the vault, 

Some impulse bade me look 
Beside a column 
Where he stood. 

I met his eyes — 

And someone near 
Whispering said, 

“ There stands the Christ! ” 
Uriel {awed). 

Did he speak 
To you? 

TALOMAI. 

Nay. 

Uriel (quickly). 

He scorned the gift? 
talomai (eagerly). 

Nay! 

(Then, after a moment) 


118 


Vesper Dramas 


He looked on me, 

And smiled. 

URIEL. 

He said nothing? 

TALOMAI. 

No word, my son. 

But no one laughed 
At me today, 

No man denied 
My right to bring 
My own unto the Lord. 

I stood, it seemed, 

Before him equally 
With scribe and Pharisee — 

One in his eyes 
With wealthy Issachar, 

With merchant-men, 

And those who tax the poor. 

I stood as one of them today, 

And dared be unafraid! 
uriee ( with rapture). 

The Lord God bless him then! 

(He turns to benar) 

You said he had 
No crown, Benar? 

Perchance he has a heart instead! 
No throne? 

Perhaps his throne 
Is that of blessedness 
And knowing human needs! 

No army at his call? 

God’s angels may surround him 
And we see them not — 

We mortal blind! 


The Widow’s Mite 


119 


( With strong emotion ) 

He looked upon my mother 
And made no rebuke! 

BENAR. 

I’ll give him thought. 

TALOMAI. 

He did not see my gift. 

And if he did — 

Ah, if he saw 
Me drop my mite 
Into the treasury, 

He’ll not condemn! 

He’ll understand. 

Uriel, (his hand on his mother ). 

Aye, mother, 

He will not condemn — 

If this be Christ! 
talomai ( quietly , visualizing ). 

He smiled on me, 

Whom men call Talomai! 

(She gazes into space , her hand covering the hand of Uriel, 
as the curtain falls.) 


120 


Vesper Dramas 


SUGGESTED WORSHIP PROGRAM 

Organ Prelude : “ Ave Maria ” Bossi 

Opening Sentences 

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may 
be meat in my house, and prove me herewith, saith the Lord 
of hosts, if I will not open to you the windows of heaven, 
and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room 
enough to receive it. 

Hymn : “ Hail the Glorious Golden City 99 Felix Adler 

Litany 

Leader: For the wealth which thou hast placed in our 
hands — 

Congregation: We thank thee,, Lord. 

Leader: That it gives us an opportunity to relieve human 
agony — 

Congregation: We thank thee, Lord. 

Leader: For the privilege which is ours of sharing in the 
development of human character and civic achievement 
through the distribution of this wealth — 

Congregation: We thank thee, Lord. 

Leader: For the privilege which is ours of so distributing 
our money that there shall be opportunity for life, edu¬ 
cation and happiness for all — 

Congregation: We thank thee, Lord. 

Leader: For the privilege which is ours so to speak and 
act through our wealth that thy kingdom may come and 
thy will may be done on earth as it is now done in 
heaven — 

Congregation: We thank thee, Lord. 

The Lord’s Prayer, in unison 


The Widow’s Mite 


121 


Prayer 

Lord, we praise thee for all thy gifts to us, for thy count¬ 
less mercies showered upon us. Freely we have received, 
freely help us to give. Since we have received from thee 
and our fellow men gifts beyond our means to repay, grant 
we may never become victims of a grasping, selfish spirit. 

0 thou Christ of God, who gavest thyself in love to every 
roadside beggar, remember us. Thou hast greatly enriched 
us from the resources of thy kingdom. Give us strength to 
master the burdens which lie heavily upon every heart. En¬ 
able us to meet the challenge of these trying days. Grant 
us to know the joy which comes with unselfishness. As op¬ 
portunity comes to us may we give of ourselves and our 
wealth that thy kingdom may come and thy will be done 
among us. 

We give thee but thine own, O Lord, 

Whate’er our gift may be; 

All that we have is thine alone, 

A trust, 0 Lord, from thee. 

Offertory Quartet : “ Saviour, Like a Shepherd Lead Us ” 

Neidlinger 

Scripture Lesson : Mark 21:1 -4 

Presentation of the Drama 

Hymn : “ Master, no Offering, Costly and Sweet ” Parker 

Benediction 

May the love of God the Father and the Spirit of Jesus 
Christ, his Son, rest upon all who sincerely put their trust 
in him. Amen. 

Organ Postlude : “ Marche Pontificale ” Lemmons 



THIN ICE 


CHARACTERS 


CALCON 

STREETER 

HARKNESS 

SCRANTON 

KRAEGER 

straig (pronounced Strag) 

Scene: An office. 

Time: A mid-summer afternoon, the present. 

An office high above the business district of a city. Its fur¬ 
nishings are simple , substantial pieces , consisting of a long 
directors’ table and accompanying chairs , with two occasional 
chairs of red leather offside. On the table are a portfolio and 
papers , a clock facing toward back , and a cradle telephone. 


THIN ICE 


A group of well-dressed men of early middle age is gathered 
in the room, calcon and harkness are standing , while scran- 
ton, kraeger, and streeter are seated. 

calcon. The trouble with our whole endeavor, gentlemen, is 
that we are trying to do in a day what can’t be done in a century. 

streeter. I disagree with you, Calcon. You should have 
said two centuries, (kraeger chuckles.) 
harkness. Shall we give it up ? 
calcon. Why not? 

harkness. Just a moment. We’ve been here practically all 
day trying to draw up a code for a union of faiths. We repre¬ 
sent the five largest denominational bodies in America. We were 
selected by them to lay plans for one great union in order that 
Protestantism might at last present a united front against the 
forces of antagonism and strife. 

scranton. Why review that, Harkness? 
harkness. This office was put at our disposal. We came 
here full of tolerance and high purpose, all set to do something 
phenomenal. You, Calcon, were the most ambitious of all. You 
said we were no longer children that we had to quibble, but the 
minute we differed with you on the old, old question of baptism 
you refused to budge. 

calcon. I couldn’t let a doctrinal subject like that go un¬ 
challenged. You wanted to leave it out of the code entirely. 
kraeger ( smiling ). You were a little intolerant, Calcon. 
calcon. Not any more than you were about transubstantia- 
tion. 

kraeger. Well, transubstantiation. . . . 

streeter. Perhaps five men can’t decide for fifty million. 

125 


126 


Vesper Dramas 


scranton. It’s turned out to be just another squabble. 
Let’s admit it, take our beating like men and go home. 
kraeger. Agreed. {They prepare to adjourn.) 
calcon. I suggest we sing at least one verse of “ Blest be the 
tie that binds.” {The men , with the exception of harkness, 
smile; kraeger chuckles.) 

harkness. Please, gentlemen. You know, the whole affair 
is treated too lightly. Don’t you realize we have it in our hands 
to do a positively revolutionary thing? This is a movement for 
which the world has been preparing itself for generations. Are 
you ready to say we’ve failed? 

kraeger. Well, where shall we start? 
harkness. I suggest we start with fundamentals. 
scranton. Viewed in their deepest nature, all phases of reli¬ 
gion are fundamental. Maybe that’s our difficulty. 
calcon. There are cogent fundamentals. 
harkness. Let us begin our code by calling people to the 
fact that there is one God. 

streeter. Wrong approach, Harkness. There’s supposed 
to be only one baptism, too, and look where that got us. 

scranton. I think if we could decide whether the cosmic God 
is the same as the personal God we might get somewhere. 

kraeger. Are we ready to acknowledge that God is per¬ 
sonal? 

scranton. Aren’t we? 
calcon. I am. 

streeter. It depends on what you mean by personal. I 
hope you don’t mean that God is organic. That would be as 
good as sacrilege. 

harkness. The trouble with us is we are skating around on 
the thin ice of speculative philosophy. I don’t think any defi¬ 
nition of God can be adequate or final. 
kraeger. But you said — 

harkness. I said we should simply begin by saying some- 


Thin Ice 


127 


thing like this: “ The United Church ” — or whatever the 
merger will be named — “ believes in the one true living God.” 

streeter. That’s all very well for us who’ve made religion 
our life work. But we must learn to put our mind alongside the 
mind of the man in the street. 

CAiiCON. Right! And he has to be told in plain, unsophisti¬ 
cated terms how he can picture God. 

kraeger. He wants to know if God hears prayers, if he is 
still the God of Moses or — 

harkness. I merely wanted to suggest a starting point. 
We must start somewhere. 
scranton. Or else adjourn. 

harkness. The really fundamental things are those which 
touch life. That’s what we are ultimately driving at. Enrich¬ 
ment of the individual, recognition of talent, improvement of the 
social order. . . . 

calcon. You know, Harkness, I strongly suspect you’re a 
humanist. 

harkness. What if I am? 
kraeger. Do your people know it? 
harkness. Oh, come, Kraeger! 

kraeger. Then I’ll bet you don’t believe in sanctification 
by faith. (There is a moment's silence broken by a sigh from 

SCRANTON.) 

scranton. Another sortie with the giant Denominational- 
ism is ending in puffs and heavy sighs. I move we let the women 
try it next time. 

harkness. I’m afraid we all came here with certain precon¬ 
ceived notions which we had hoped would be substantiated. 

kraeger. All I hoped was that we might be able to lay down 
certain vital and fundamental principles ; principles which would 
be consistent with what our people have always believed. 
streeter. What do you mean by “ our people ”? 
harkness. Come, gentlemen, surely they are all our people. 


128 


Vesper Dramas 


Let us approach this whole question from an ethical point of 
view for a change. Think what we have to offer these fifty mil¬ 
lion and more! A unity of fellowship, for one thing, in which 
the stupendous power of the Infinite can have full sway. 

calcon. Harkness, there’s not one of us who hasn’t the 
vision, but good grief! We must retain the basic sacraments of 
Christianity! 

kraeger. I agree. 

harkness. Very well, let’s begin there. 

scranton. Rebirth — put that down, Calcon. (The men 
make a pretense of getting down to business .) 
calcon. Incarnation ought to be first — 
streeter. First let’s admit that the universe taken as a 
whole is God, that he is the essence of the combined forces 
which — 

kraeger. Streeter, that’s out-and-out pantheism! 
streeter. Why give it a name? I despise this finagling 
about terminology! You believe it, don’t you? 

kraeger. Not as pantheism, never! God is tangible Spirit! 
calcon. That’s naive. 

harkness. After all, the word “ God ” is a symbol for the 
unfathomable reality to which it points. 

kraeger. They’d label that heresy in my denomination. 
scranton. I believe you’re a mystic, Harkness! 
harkness. I’m a Christian! But I am interested in every 
phase and angle of positive belief. More than that, I am inter¬ 
ested in humanity. If you read your papers this morning you 
probably saw an account of the mad chemist who escaped from 
the sanitarium at Four Hills. I’m interested in that man be¬ 
cause he is a part of humanity. I believe there is hope for him 
because he has dared to think . We are stagnating! 

scranton. You mean, because we call things by their right 
names? 


Thin Ice 


129 


harkness. There is no right name for anything. I was 
thinking of our hidebound delusions. 

calcon. Speaking of the mad chemist, I hear he was a mem¬ 
ber of your denomination, Streeter. 

streeter. That’s right. You see where this proposed unity 
might get you, eh? (scranton laughs softly, calcon takes it 
good-humoredly .) 

harkness. Nonsense. 

kraeger. I heard about his insanity this morning. A friend 
of mine told me the weirdest story. I can’t laugh about it. . . . 
(They look at him a moment .) 

scranton. All chemists are mad. 
streeter. We haven’t much license to throw stones. 
scranton. Let’s go home. We’ve given ourselves a good 
whipping. ( Again there is indication of possible departure.) 

calcon. We don’t have to say we failed. We can think the 
whole thing over. It looks chaotic enough now, but perhaps 
after sober reflection — 

harkness ( holding them with his words). Our giving up 
this way is an open admission that we have failed. You know 
that as well as I. The key men of the country’s five great Prot¬ 
estant faiths have failed. The press — the press will tell us 
about it. We’ve threshed straw all day. We began with the 
premise that a unity of faith is needful and refuted it by our own 
bigotry. 

scranton. We all want to be popes, that’s the trouble. 
calcon. It can’t be done on a large scale. 
harkness. Yes, it can, Calcon, if we’d be honest with our¬ 
selves. 

calcon. Good grief! I haven’t lied about anything. 
harkness ( gathering up his papers). We coddle unessen¬ 
tials. 

kraeger. Religion has no unessentials. 


130 


Vesper Dramas 


streeter. Shall we try to start once more — 

CAECON. No. 

streeter. — say with the divinity of Jesus? 
scranton. That’s the most delicate and dangerous of all. 
Why, in a recent questionnaire circulated among the men of our 
denomination there were — (he has opened a small notebook ) 
— Would you like to hear? 

KRAEGER. I Would. 

calcon. It depends on what you mean by the divinity of 
Jesus. If you mean virgin birth — 

kraeger. That’s what our denomination means by the term, 
yes. 

streeter. Well, ours doesn’t. 

scranton ( reading ). Twenty per cent of those who returned 
their questionnaires expressed their belief that Jesus was born 
of a virgin; forty-two voted against it; sixteen were noncom¬ 
mittal ; twelve per cent said they had stopped thinking about it; 
six said some days they believed and some days they disbelieved; 
four per cent said they expected to settle the question before the 
end of the present church year. 

harkness. That report seems to prove the question unes¬ 
sential. 

streeter. On the contrary, Harkness, the attitudes of these 
men convey for the most part only lethargy and indifference. 
That’s the trouble with the church at large. 

kraeger. Perhaps we ought to take Rowland Hill’s view¬ 
point. You remember he once said, “ I do not want the walls 
of separation between different orders of Christians to be de¬ 
stroyed, but only lowered that we may shake hands a little easier 
over them.” 

harkness. He was afraid to hope for more than that. 
That was in 1790. A century and a half should show some 
progress, I hope. 

scranton. Let’s admit we’re not up to it. Religious differ- 


Thin Ice 


131 


ences are too deeply embedded to be pulled up in a day or a 
century. 

calcon. Denominations cannot be annihilated. 
harkness. It is not our intention to annihilate anything. 
We want to weld them into one. The denominational unit has 
at last realized its interdependence with and relation to the 
others. (He suddenly puts aside his papers. Then , deter¬ 
minedly ) Gentlemen, we dare not fail! Our people have realized 
that while we are all reaching for the same thing we do so over 
barriers. We strive against each other while underneath is a 
strong current ready to sweep us into an everlasting brother¬ 
hood of man! I say, we dare not fail. 

caecon. I repeat, it can’t be done on a large scale. 
kraeger. As long as there is individuality there will be dif¬ 
ferences. We’d better go on as we have in the past. 

scranton. This cannot be done artificially. A brotherhood 
of faiths must grow naturally without any mechanical stimulus. 

calcon. We haven’t scratched the surface of our differ¬ 
ences. Could our denominations ever agree on prayer, sin, or 
immortality? I’ll say they couldn’t. Religious belief is innate. 

harkness. Very well, most of us happen to be what we are 
by the accident of birth. Are you ready to look at it in that 
way? 

CAiiCON. You’re bringing us around nicely to the subject of 
predestination. 

scranton. Let’s give it up. 

streeter. We simply haven’t learned that union is stronger 
than witchcraft. 

kraeger. Witchcraft? 

harkness. Gentlemen, why can’t we keep pace with life? 
scranton. We won’t get anywhere, I tell you. ( They are 
on the point of breaking up the meeting .) 

CALCON. You can’t coerce people’s spiritual beliefs. 
scranton (with finality). So let’s give up. 


132 


Vesper Dramas 


(He is about to leave, calcon and kraeger are ready to fol¬ 
low. harkness remains resolutely at the table, streeter is 
confining himself to a weary , deprecatory gesture. Just then 
the door is thrown open and straig, the mad chemist , bursts into 
the room. He is a dominant figure and holds the men with a wild 
gaze.) 

straig. You are going to die! Do you hear me? You are 
going to die! ( His eyes fash from one to the other and finally 

rest on the clock.) Is that clock right? ( The men are silent; 
he confronts them fiercely.) Is that clock right? 

HARKNESS. Yes. 

straig. Ten minutes to three. ... At three we die! 
They’ve been after me for days. I could have stopped them 
with a motion of my hand! I’ve been hiding here since morn¬ 
ing. (As streeter makes a motion toward the phone) Keep 
away from that telephone! 

streeter. You’re the — chemist, aren’t you? Straig, I 
believe the papers called you. 

straig. Who knows who I am? Maybe I was a chemist. 
Now I’m a god! I’m Death! (He clutches a small vial in his 
hand.) When I open this vial we die! All life stops at three 
o’clock. 

caecon (easily). If we have until three, let’s sit down and 
talk it over. 

straig. Is that the best thing you can think of? Talk? 
You’d better talk to God. It was on a Friday that they killed 
the Christ. At three o’clock he died. And at three o’clock I 
destroy humanity. That’s my task. That’s why I was born. 
That’s why I was able to discover the toxicant. ... A cubic 
centimeter destroys a city. It will be a lesson to the rest of the 
world. 

harkness (studying him quietly). Of course, it will be a les¬ 


son. 


Thin Ice 


133 


scranton. So you are the mad chemist. The papers car¬ 
ried the story of how you claimed you could kill vegetation, too. 
(With a smile) That’s remarkable. 

straig. Laugh! Laugh at me! The dead don’t laugh! 
(Vehemently) Sit down, all of you! Sit down, I tell you! 
(They seat themselves deliberately with the exception of krae- 
ger, who sinks awed into his chair.) Now — who are you? 

harkness. We are men. We are your brothers. Our dif¬ 
ference lies only in the fact that we want to construct while you 
want to destroy. 

straig. Humanity is worth destroying. 
streeter. That’s better than saying it is not worth destroy¬ 
ing. 

straig. You are strange men. You try to joke while you 
have minutes to live. 

calcon. Perhaps we joke because we do not believe you. 
straig. Yesterday I drove a milligram of this into the 
ground and it destroyed a field. Yesterday I killed rats with it, 
today I kill men! Don’t believe it! Soon you shall know. I 
wait! (He stands statue-like against the door.) 

streeter (with an ironical smile). Why wait, Mr. Straig? 
You must know that our calculation of time is much different 
than it was in Judea. Why not open the vial now and get it over 
with? (straig stares at him a moment , and takes the vial in 
both his hands.) 

kraeger (in panic). Streeter, you fool! You don’t know 
what you’re saying! He can destroy us! (An atmosphere of 
fear and tension suddenly engulfs the scene.) 
calcon. What? 

kraeger (to straig). Don’t open that! 
straig. So — you believe! 

kraeger. I know! Listen, you men! I learned about it yes¬ 
terday from a reliable source. They haven’t let it be known but 


134 


Vesper Dramas 


he has a medium that can destroy every living thing for miles 
around. Don’t stare at me! Don’t sit there! We’re doomed — 
doomed, I tell you! 

straig. And if you come near me, if you try to get away, 
I’ll break this on the floor! Of course you’re doomed. So am I. 
But I was born to do this! 

calcon. Kraeger — you can’t be serious. 

kraeger. We are dead men ! 

straig {grimly). Why not think of poetry and songs at such 
a time? Perhaps, 

“ Death wounds to cure; we fall, we rise, we reign, 

Spring from our fetters, fasten in the skies — 

Where blooming Eden withers in our sight. 

Death gives us more than was in Eden lost, 

The king of terrors is the prince of peace! ” 

{Suspense and silence follow; then he turns to the clock.) Tick; 
go on ticking! After we are gone will you still count out your 
minutes, will your hands still go around with no one to see them? 
Gentlemen, ... a picture of futility! {He suddenly bursts 
into hollow , crazed laughter.) 

kraeger. Stop it! {He is gradually losing control of him¬ 
self.) 

scranton. Kraeger! 

straig. I will wait. {He resumes his former position.) 

kraeger. What can we do? Let’s make a fight for it. If 
— if we must die — Die! It’s too preposterous ! It’s prepos¬ 
terous, I tell you. 

streeter. Let’s not lose our heads. 

It’s ironical, if it’s really true. If it isn’t all a 


HARKNESS. 

dream. 

SCRANTON. 

HARKNESS. 


a pretty leveling influence 
What then ? 


I wouldn’t be so romantic about it, Harkness. 

I don’t mean to be. But these moments do have 
What if we are all facing death? 


Thin Ice 


135 


streeter. There’s no use getting panicky about it. 

CAXCON. You say that easily, Streeter, because you still 
doubt that he can do it. He’s mad, I tell you! Stark, raving 
mad! And Kraeger said — 

kraeger. We will die! (straig remains cold and fixed.) 

harkness. I don’t want to be romantic as Scranton insinu¬ 
ates. But somehow I feel very near to all of you men. We have 
suddenly become one. A common fear seems to crowd us to¬ 
gether. For the first time today we see not our differences but 
our similarity. We are men awaiting death. 

CAiiCON. I’m not thinking of myself. I’m thinking of — of 
those who belong to me — those who are waiting for me. I’m 
thinking of — 

kraeger ( fiercely to straig). If there’s a spark of sanity in 
you, listen to me! We are men like yourself! You have some 
wild idea about avenging Christ! Religion is our business. 
We’ve given our lives to it! Listen to me! 

calcon ( unnerved ). Give us that vial! We’ll see that you 
are protected! 

scranton (upset). You can’t destroy and kill if you believe 
in God. 

streeter. That’s right, Straig. 66 Thou shalt not kill! ” 

harkness (evenly to straig). You are a strange person to 
want to kill yourself as well. Let’s talk it over. As Kraeger 
has said, religion is our business. If you believe in Jesus, prove 
it. (There is a moment of suspense.) What do you say? 

straig. I wait. Five minutes and my mission will be fulfilled. 
We die — together. 

kraeger (screaming). No! (He pounds the table.) We 
can overpower you! 

straig (wildly) . Sit down! (kraeger sinks quietly into his 
chair.) 

harkness. For a moment, gentlemen, we see that an extrem¬ 
ity drives us into a corner. We cannot rely on creeds now — 


136 


Vesper Dramas 


calcon ( cutting in). Oh, stop it! (Silence.) 
streeter (quietly). Go on, Harkness. 

harkness. I must go on even though the words are never 
heard again. At this moment we are not thinking of creeds, we 
are thinking of God. 

scranton (half to himself). If I die — 
calcon. It’s maddening! (Hysterically to straig) Break 
it! I dare you to break it! 

scranton. Don’t be a fool, Calcon! 

streeter. How petty all our arguing was before. What 
about fundamentals now? What about preconceived ideas? 
Yes, what about creeds? I tell you, men, the world needs only 
to remember it must die! 

harkness. Reason fails. Differences disappear. Doubt, 
skepticism, selfishness, intolerance — all are gone now. Only 
one thing remains: we are mortals, we are brothers ! Above de¬ 
nominations stands brotherhood! Above denominations stands 
humanity! 

calcon. If I could go back — if we could all go back and 
tell our people what we feel just now! 

streeter. You put it well, Harkness. Above denominations 
stands humanity! We think we are suddenly confronted with 
this divine event; that we must die. On the contrary, it has 
confronted us every day. That is the common denominator of 
life. 

scranton. For the first time I see how unnecessary it is to 
comprehend God. 

harkness. The vision has come to us — too late perhaps — 
but it has come. We feel now that those who have brought God 
to men tried to build lives, not organizations. They had only 
one desire and that was to make God articulate in man. 

kraeger. There is no death! If we ever believed let us be¬ 
lieve now! 

calcon. I believe it! 


Thin Ice 137 

kraeger ( as before , to straig). Do you hear? There is no 
death! 

streeter. “ The children of God cannot die! ” 
scranton. I believe! 

harkness. We remember now how Jesus said — 
straig ( interrupting ). It is time! All my life has been 

moving toward this moment. I am ready to fulfill my work. 
Vengeance — vengeance is mine! Vengeance for the Crucified! 
Let all the powers of death pour out revenge. For this purpose 
was I born. It has been a fever in my blood — now let it be a 
lesson to men! Laugh! Why doesn’t somebody laugh? I can 
laugh — here, I’ll teach you! One laugh before we die! ( He 
throws bach his head and laughs sardonically.) 

kraeger. Stop ! ( In the moment harkness with one quick 
grasp wrests the vial from Straig's unsuspecting hand.) 

calcon ( the following lines are almost simultaneous ). Care¬ 
ful, Harkness! 

scranton. Look out for him! 

(Silence and suspense follow, straig stares at harkness. 
Suddenly he cringes before them.) 

straig. The curse! The curse is upon me! I was afraid. 
Fear has beaten me! Whenever I wanted to destroy, something 
held my hand! Fear — fear — fear — ( He goes unsteadily 

to a chair and buries his head in his hands.) 

caecon ( to streeter, nearest the telephone) . Call the au¬ 
thorities, Streeter. 

straig. No! It won’t do you any good. They’ll never get 
me! ( He goes to the door.) 

harkness. Where are you going? 

straig. Into tomorrow. They’ll be after me again and I 
won’t be able to destroy them. I could have stopped them with 
a motion of my hand! You’ve won! {Fiercely) You’ve won, 
do you hear? 

harkness. It isn’t much of a victory. 


138 


Vesper Dramas 


scranton. Hold him! 

straig. No man can hold me. You have the vial, break it 
and avenge. Someone must avenge. I am cursed — cursed — 
cursed — fear has beaten me — beaten me — {He tears open 
the door and disappears , his voice fading in the distance.) 
harkness. Whew! 

kraeger. That was daring of you, Harkness. 
streeter. We’ll call the police. 

kraeger. That would get us into all sorts of trouble and 
publicity. 

caecon ( to harkness) . You must be careful with that. 
harkness {looking at the vial). We don’t know whether — 
scranton. Kraeger said — 

kraeger. It’s a poisonous vapor. I have it on good au¬ 
thority. 

caecon. I’d give it to some reputable chemist. 
scranton. Bury it! That’s what I’d do ! 
streeter. I’d throw it into the river. 
harkness. It’s well sealed. I’ll take care of it. 
caecon. We shouldn’t have let him get away. 
kraeger. It doesn’t seem real. Harkness, who knows what 
you’ve done! Maybe you have saved the city. 

harkness. No, it doesn’t seem real. But I know that for 
a moment we thought we were facing death. We were forced 
into a wonderful alliance — an alliance of thought, impulse and 
spirit. 

streeter. Don’t say, “ We were.” We are. I still feel my 
nearness to all of you. I still feel that a certain union has been 
born in our hearts. 

caecon {but not convincingly). Well, I do, too. 
harkness. What we experience, my friends, is only a fore¬ 
taste of that unity and concord that can be born among our 
people. 


Thin Ice 139 

scranton. If — if they would be in the position we were 
in a few moments ago, yes. 

harkness. I can’t concede even that, Scranton. The un¬ 
dercurrent about which I spoke earlier today has suddenly en¬ 
gulfed us and lifted us into a consciousness of man’s oneness 
with his fellows. 

CAiiCON. We mustn’t let our emotions run away with us 
again. 

streeter. I don’t know whether this is emotion or reason 
or what. Terribly steeped as we are in our individualism, an 
uncanny sympathy gripped us for a while. 

kraeger. I suppose it is just because I am rationalizing, 
but I don’t want to confine my perspective to this little room. 
When we get outside, when the cool air strikes our faces, when 
we get back into the vortex of life, so to say, then we will have 
to recall the old rules, the old approaches, the old fundamentals. 

streeter. Are you going to start that again, Kraeger ? 

harkness. You are trampling this experience under the foot 
of sheer selfishness! 

kraeger. I am thinking of the masses now, not of myself. 

scranton. No doubt people do have to get into like situa¬ 
tions before they can understand the meaning of this common 
denominator. 

caecon. Really, gentlemen, I don’t see why we can’t have 
unity and brotherhood while still retaining our denomination- 
alism. 

kraeger. There will certainly always be individual interpre¬ 
tations. We all respond differently under like circumstances. 

streeter (pointedly ). So I’ve noticed. 

calcon (laughing). That was two-edged, Streeter. Well, 
I must be going. 

kraeger. Let’s not let this afternoon’s adventure get out. 
We wouldn’t be believed and we might be laughed at. 


140 


Vesper Dramas 


harkness. I am appalled at our indecision. I marvel how 
quickly we can become estranged from one another. We are 
really callous, apathetic creatures. We need death itself, yes, 
more than death, to bring us into a spiritual allegiance with 
each other and our God! 

scranton. That’s putting it pretty strong! 
harkness. I wish I could temper it. Selfish individualism 
is at the root of our trouble. It is reflected here and flashes 
through the whole of Christendom. In a moment we will be back 
where we started, still hugging our age-old differences. Gentle¬ 
men, there is no conflict in God! 

calcon ( taking his hat). The trouble with you, Harkness, 
and the trouble with the rest of us is that we speak too much 
in symbols. Coming, Scranton? 

scranton. I think I will. I’m terribly unnerved. {He and 
caecon are ready to leave.) Do be careful with that vial, 
Harkness. ( They exit.) 

kraeger. This hasn’t been entirely futile. We’ve learned 
that the thin ice of differences can be broken for a time. ( He 
looks at streeter and harkness for a moment , smiles wanly and 
goes out.) 

harkness ( seating himself heavily). Thin ice. . . . 
streeter. There’s a lot of thin ice in the world, my friend. 
We stood on some this afternoon. . . . But for all his quibbling 
Kraeger is not altogether wrong. This hasn’t been futile. A 
little more time, a little more tolerance, a few more madmen 
with death potions, and perhaps we will raise the idea of the 
brotherhood of man from a vision to a reality. A little more 
suffering and men will probably break down the walls which 
support their petty views. 

harkness {half to himself). I wonder. . . . 

{The lights fade out.) 


Thin Ice 


141 


SUGGESTED WORSHIP PROGRAM 

Organ Prelude : “ Chanson Triste ” Tschaikowsky 
Silence, for a space 

After a few minutes of silence the leader will say: 
Father, in thy mysterious presence kneeling, 

Fain would our souls feel all thy kindling love; 

For we are weak, and need some deep revealing 
Of trust and strength and calmness from above. 

— Samuel Johnson 

Hymn : “ Blest Be the Tie that Binds ” Fawcett 
Prayer 

0 God of Peace, who through thy Son Jesus Christ didst 
send forth one faith for the salvation of mankind: Send thy 
grace and heavenly blessing upon all Christian people who 
are striving to draw nearer to thee, and to each other, in the 
unity of the Spirit and in the bond of peace. Give us peni¬ 
tence for our divisions, wisdom to know the truth, courage 
to do thy will, love that shall break down the barriers of 
pride and prejudice, and an unswerving loyalty to thy holy 
name. Suffer us not to shirk from any endeavor which is 
in accordance with thy will, for the peace and unity of thy 
church. Give us boldness to seek only thy glory and the 
advancement of thy kingdom. Unite us all in thee as thou, 
O Father, with thy Son and the Holy Spirit, art one God, 
world without end. Amen. 

— Manual of Prayers for Unity 
Hymn Response. The leader will read his lines , the organ will 
play as the congregation sings . 

Leader: To carry on the work of Jesus Christ after his 


142 


Vesper Dramas 


ascension, our heavenly Father planned the Christian 
church. 

Congregation: 

I love thy church, 0 God; 

Her walls before thee stand, 

Dear as the apple of thine eye, 

And graven on thy hand. 

Leader: The organization and progress of the Christian 
church was a difficult task. The early history of the 
church is one of martyrs. Consecration and sacrifice 
were essential qualities for membership in it. 

Congregation: 

For her my tears shall fall, 

For her my prayers ascend, 

To her my cares and toils be given 
Till toils and cares shall end. 

Leader: Christians of the trying days of history were dis¬ 
tinguished by their love of the brethren, by their faithful¬ 
ness to the vows of the church, and by their diligence in 
good service. 

Congregation: 

Beyond my highest joy 
I prize her heavenly ways, 

Her sweet communion, solemn vows, 

Her hymns of love and praise. 

Leader: And there was always the thought that if the un¬ 
friendly world should finally triumph over the body of 
the saints, there would be the hope of heaven. 

Congregation: 

Sure as the truth shall last, 

To Zion shall be given 
The brightest glories earth can yield, 

And brighter bliss of heaven. 

Leader: Today the emphasis has changed. The dream of 


Thin Ice 


143 


all Christians is for a Christlike order. We seek the 
peace and harmony of the church and the Christian joy 
of all nations. The kingdoms of this world must become 
the kingdom of our Lord. 

Congregation: 

Sure as the truth shall last, 

To Zion shall be given 
The brightest glories earth can yield. 

And brighter bliss of heaven. 

Offertory: Choir Anthem , “Grant Me True Courage, Lord ” 

Bach 

Presentation of the Drama 

Hymn: “ The Church’s One Foundation 99 Samuel J. Stone 
Benediction 

Now may the peace of God, the great Father of the 
church, unite us all in the common dream of unity and 
brotherhood. Amen. 

Organ Postlude : “ Be not Afraid,” from Elijah Mendelssohn 








THE CURSE O’ GOD 


CHARACTERS 


sid stewart, forty-five 

JERUSHA STEWART ) 

amanda stewart l his older half-sisters 

ALIVIA STEWART J 

Scene: A midwestern farmhouse. 

Time: The present. 

The kitchen of the Stewart sisters 9 home on a midwestern 
farm. Downstage right is a table covered with a checkered cloth 
upon which , among other objects , is an old , brass-clasped 
family Bible. There are accompanying chairs and down left 
is a wheel chair. At back an oil stove , a cupboard , and a cur¬ 
tained stand supporting a water-pail. A wall-telephone is fixed 
in the back wall and a window looks out over the farmyard. It 
is seven-thirty of a spring morning. 


THE CURSE O’ GOD 


After repeated knocks on the door at right, to which there 
is no response, sid stewart enters. He is a man of forty-five 
who appears slightly older because of a hunted, emaciated ex¬ 
pression and a noticeable stoop of his shoulders. He coughs 
intermittently, a sickly, tubercular cough which he tries vainly 
to suppress. His face is weather-beaten and darkened by a 
stubble of beard. His eyes are pale and kindly. 

sid (crossing to the stairway and calling ). Amanda ! Hey, 
Amanda! Where are ya ? 

jerusha {from upstairs). Who’s there? 
sid. It’s me, Sid. 

jerusha {metallically). Sid? What d’ya want? 
sid. Where’s Amanda? {Jerusha’s determined steps are 
heard on the stairs and she appears, all too soon, to confront 

SID.) 

jerusha {defiantly). What d’y a want? 
sid. Jerusha, I — 

jerusha. Ya got yer nerve, ain’t ya? Breakin’ into the 
house! 

sid. Jerusha — Billy’s sick and I thought ya might have a 
chicken to spare. We thought some broth’d be the — 

jerusha {snorting). He ain’t never been well. I wouldn’t 
bother a heap over the likes o’ him. He’s blind. Broth ain’t 
goin’ ta help him none. 

sid. It won’t hurt him, that’s sure. 

jerusha {plowing on). Blind! And ya know why! The 
fruit o’ sin, that’s what he is ! The curse o’ God! 

I’d mend my talk if I was ya, Jerusha. {He coughs.) 
147 


SID. 


148 


Vesper Dramas 


jerusha. Don’t Jerusha me! Ya could have as much as 
any o’ us if ya hadn’t let yer wife’s folks take it away from ya! 
Ya wouldn’t have ta come spongin’ chickens off’n us! 
sid. I’d pay fer ’em if I could, Jerusha. 

jerusha. I s’pose ya would! Ya think just because ya hap¬ 
pen ta be a half-brother o’ ourn ya kin git anythin’ ya want 
just fer askin’ and showin’ a long face — and coughin’ yer silly 
cough! 

sid. Billy’s sick, Jerusha. 

jerusha. ’Taint our fault! We’ve given ya all that was 
yourn accordin’ ta law. An’ as fer Billy — he’s blind! 
sid. Blind or not blind, I don’t want him ta — ta die. 
jerusha. It’s the curse o’ God, Sid Stewart! We’ve told 
ya that afore! 

sid ( holding his ground) . I don’t believe it. 
jerusha. It is! 

sid (rebelliously). I tell ya it ain’t! 

jerusha. Ya ain’t goin’ ta raise yer voice in this house, I 
tell ya that! 

sid. Then don’t say them things ! (He coughs.) 
jerusha. It’s the truth! Ya know how Billy was born ’fore 
ya was even married! 

sid. Don’t start that agin! 

jerusha. Some day yer other ’uns ’ll get the same way ! 
sid. Stop it! 

jerusha. I tell ya, I won’t have ya screamin’ at me! Ya’ll 
have Alivia hearin’ us in a minute! 

sid. Well, don’t say them things! Billy was born blind an’ 
the rest of ’em weren’t. I don’t see no curse in that! It ain’t 
no curse fer Alivia ta be deef, is it? 

jerusha. Alivia’s gettin’ old. Them things come with age 
— it ain’t nat’ral fer a baby ta come blind. 

sid (disturbed). Ya don’t know nothin’ about it. (He 
coughs and goes to the water-pail.) 
jerusha. What ya goin’ ta do? 


The Curse O’ God 149 

sid. What d’ya suppose? Did ya think I was goin’ ta take 
a bath? 

jerusha ( snatching the dipper) . Ya ain’t goin’ ta drink out 
o’ the dipper, I tell ya that! 

sid ( grimly ). Gad, ya’d think I was a leper. 
jerusha. Some things is just’s bad! ( She sets an old tin 
cup on the stand.) There, drink out o’ that. 
sid. How kin ya be that way, Jerusha? 
jerusha {snorting). Ya don’t think I’m a fool, do ya, even 
though I am yer half-sister? We ain’t fergot the shame ya 
brought on us six years back when it came out that the baby 
was cornin’, (sid coughs while she pours water from the dipper 
into his cup.) Ya think ya kin disgrace us one minute an’ have 
us kissin’ ya the next. Well, we won’t! 

sid. Ya kin at least treat me like a human bein’! 
jerusha. Don’t insinuate that we didn’t, Sid Stewart! Ya 
got what was yourn when old maw died. We ain’t interfered 
with the law! 

sid. The law! Gad, ya people that do things accordin’ ta 
the law! There ain’t no mercy in the law! 

jerusha. Humph! Where’d ya get that? Out o’ the Bible? 
sid. Maybe I did. 

jerusha. Ya don’t never go ta church. We’ve spoke of it 
fer the past six years. Ya ain’t never come — nor yer wife. 
She ain’t the prayin’ kind, though. 

sid. Marthy does too pray! Maybe she don’t do it from the 
roof like some folks. {He coughs.) 
jerusha. Stop that silly coughin’. 

sid. Wisht I could. {There is an awkward silence for just 
a moment.) Kin I get a chicken? 

jerusha. What d’ya do with the money ya get off the 
county? 

sid. We ain’t had a cent from the county since I’m workin’ 
in the gravel pit. Marthy ’n’ me’s been honest about that. 
jerusha. Honest! Humph! Ya was honest, too, when she 


150 Vesper Dramas 

went ta her old aunt’s an’ had the baby ’fore you an’ she was 
married! 

sid. I wish ya’d hold yer mouth about that! 
jerusha. It ain’t so easy, Sid Stewart! It ain’t no sin ta 
talk about a sin. It was awful what ya done! 

sid. If it’d a-happened ta you it mighta made a woman out 
o’ ya! 

jerusha (dumbfounded ). That’s enough! Get out, I tell 
ya, ya dirty, insultin’ rat! (She advances on him menacingly 
when a slamming of the porch door is heard and a shuffling of 
feet announces the entrance of amanda. She is the “ practical ” 
one — a gaunt , solemn, strait-laced mortal , quick-spoken and 
unbending. There is a depressing , dirge-like atmosphere about 
her. Her attire at the moment consists of an old bonnet , a 
somber , tight-fitting dress , an apron, and heavy, ill-shaped 
shoes.) 

amanda (steeling herself against sid; to jerusha). What’s 
the yellin’ about, Jerusha? 

jerusha. The insultin’ dirty-mouthed dog! 
amanda (hoarsely ). What ya doin’ under our roof, Sidney? 
jerusha. D’ya have ta ask, Amanda? He ain’t bringin 9 
us nothin’ ya kin be sure! Less it be trouble — or disgrace! 

sid. Billy’s sick, Mandy. I thought mebbe some broth — 
if we could get a chicken — 
jerusha. Fer the askin’ — 

amanda. Ain’t ya workin’? Somebody said ya was in the 
gravel pit. 

sid. That’s right. But it ain’t very much I kin earn that 
way. 

amanda. Chickens don’t just spring up by themselves. 
jerusha. An’ the county ain’t helpin’ us, ya kin bet! 
sid. I wouldn’t a-come if I could a-bought one, Mandy. 
( jerusha snorts .) Every cent we been able to scrape together’s 
gone ta the doctor. 


The Curse O’ God 


151 


JERUSHA. Doctor? 

amanda (simultaneously}. What doctor? 
sid. Fer blind Billy. A doctor’s been a-comin’ up from To¬ 
peka oncet a week ta Billy — and he thinks there’s hope. Mebbe 
any day, he says, the bandages kin be took off an’ mebbe — 
mebbe he kin see! Gad, think of it! Mebbe Billy kin see! 
jerusha. Humph! 

amanda. The doctor just wants yer money. 
sid. A drownin’ man’ll grab at a straw, Mandy. (He 
coughs.) 

amanda. Humph! 

sid. I know I ain’t worth helpin’ much. Jerusha’s right, 
I’m just a sinner. But fer the sake o’ God an’ Marthy, ferget 
me an’ try an’ think o’ them! 

jerusha (aghast). God and yer sinnin’ wife! I’d be 
ashamed ta name ’em in the same breath! Don’t go forgettin’ 
that you’re under our roof, Sid Stewart! 

amanda. An’ ya ain’t got a cent o’ claim on it no more either. 
sid. I know all that, Mandy. I didn’t come out here ta 
quarrel. I’m not feelin’ good myself. I walked out here ’cause 
I — I needed yer help. We’re all o’ us goin’ hungry. 
jerusha. An’ now we’re good enough! Huh! 
sid. Ya’ve always been good enough fer me. It was the other 
way ’round. There’s been days I’ve wanted ta come ta ya — 
days when I wouldn’t a-needed ta ask fer nothin’. But it was 
you disownin’ me. 

jerusha. Ta hear ya talk! 

sid. Please, Jerusha. I don’t wanna quarrel. That’s no 
good. But if ya would help me out just this oncet. The doc¬ 
tor’s cornin’ taday an’ — 

alivia (from upstairs) . Amanda! 
jerusha. What’s she want? 

amanda. Want’s ta be helped down, I s’pose. (Calling) 
What d’ya want? 


152 


Vesper Dramas 


jerusha. Aw, go up ta her. She can’t hear ya. 
alivia. Amanda! 

amanda ( grudgingly ). All right. I’m cornin’. 
jerusha. Well, if ya have ta help her much more mebbe 
ya’ll fix her bed down here like I told ya. 

amanda. If I’d knowed she was goin’ ta last this long there’s 
lots of things I might a-done. ( She exits.) 
sid. Mandy shouldn’t say that. 
jerusha. Shut yer sinnin’ mouth, Sid Stewart! 
sid. Jerusha — how kin ya be like that? 
jerusha. If I’d ever pay ya in yer own coin, ya’d have 
reason ta talk! “ Fer the sake o’ God an’ Marthy! ” An’ ya 
wonder why ya’ve got the curse on ya! 

amanda {offstage 9 coming down the stairs with alivia; 
loudly). — ta beg some hens off’n us. 
alivia (offstage). Sidney? 
amanda. Yes, Sidney. 

( They appear, alivia leans on the arm of amanda who leads 
her to the wheel chair, alivia, oldest of the sisters , is an invalid. 
She is slight , palsied , wrinkled, hut is the one compassionate soul 
in the Stewart home. She is deaf , much to the annoyance of 
jerusha and amanda. The traits of the deaf are revealed in 
her halting speech , her habit of repetition , and her interpreta¬ 
tion of movements around her. She smiles at Sidney, much to 
the embarrassment of the others.) 
alivia. Sidney. 

sid ( brightening a bit). Hello, Livy. 
jerusha. Humph! 

amanda (to sid, softly enough to escape alivia). Don’t 
think she’s forgive ya! 

alivia. I’m glad to see you, Sidney. I’ve been thinking 
about you lately. How’s Billy? (The remark comes like a bolt 
out of a clear sky. jerusha and amanda are dumbfounded .) 
I say, how’s Billy — blind Billy? Feeling all right? 


The Curse O’ God 


153 


sid ( venturing forward) . Not very well, Alivia. 
alivia. Not well ? 
sid. No, his eyes hurt. 
jerusha. He ain’t got no eyes ! 

alivia ( oblivious to jerusha). Too bad. ( Then , looking 
up) Did you say something, Jerusha? 
jerusha. I might o’. 

sid. Ya don’t have ta go tearin’ out somebody’s heart every 
time ya open yer mouth. 

jerusha ( behind alivia). Tearin’ out somebody’s heart! 
Ya must a-been readin’ some to get such expressions! Ya 
wasn’t thinkin’ o’ hearts six years ago, was ya? Ya wasn’t 
thinkin’ about disgracin’ us, was ya? Billy ain’t got no eyes — 
it’s the curse o’ God! 
sid. Stop it! 
alivia. What is it ? 
amanda. Oh, it’s Jerusha and Sid. 

alivia. She shouldn’t be mean to him when his boy is sick. 
jerusha. Humph! 

alivia. You need some chickens, Sidney ? 
sid. Well, I — 

alivia. You’ve been working too hard, Sid. Overworked 
and underfed, that’s it. You don’t look none too well. 
sid. I’m all right. 
alivia. Amanda. . . . 

AMANDA. Well? 

alivia. You go out to the yard and get two or three of my 
chickens for Sidney. 
amanda. What ? 
alivia. Chickens — for Sidney. 
jerusha. Ya — ya’re not go in’ ta — 
alivia. What is it, Jerusha? Do it for me, Amanda. 
jerusha. She’ll be givin’ him her share o’ the farm next! 
amanda ( bitterly to sid). Of all the schemers ! 


154 


Vesper Dramas 


sid {breaking). Gad, Jerusha, be decent ta me! 

JERUSHA {confronting him fiercely). Stop that swearin’ — 
{she raises her hand as though to strike him) — ya — 

amanda. Come on, Jerusha. Let’s get the chickens so’s he 
kin get his sinnin’ self from under our roof, (jerusha snorts. 
They exit, alivia sits for some time perplexed and thoughtful.) 

sid {after a prolonged silence). How’re ya feelin’, Alivia? 
{She looks up; louder) I say, how ya feelin’? 

AXiiviA. Right well, Sidney, right well. The good Lord’s not 
oppressing me any. 

sid. That’s good. I’m glad. 

AiiiviA. Hm-m? 

sid. I say I’m glad. It was nice o’ ya ta talk kind-like ta 
me, Livy. 

alivia. I guess you’ve suffered enough for what you’ve done. 
sid. I get so tired of life, sometimes — 
alivia. What, Sidney? 

sid. I said, I get so tired o’ life. {He coughs.) If it 
wouldn’t be fer the feelin’ that there was somethin’ better, I 
don’t know what I’d do. But just like now, when I’m feelin’ sick 
an’ heavy inside, I still feel there’s somethin’, somethin’ worth¬ 
while an’ wonderful just ahead. 

alivia. Just ahead — that’s the way with life, Sidney. 
sid. I ain’t got a thing in the world ’ceptin’ Marthy ’n’ the 
kids, blind Billy ’n’ the rest who kin see. I ain’t got nothin’ but 
them an’ — an’ — {He coughs.) 
alivia. And what, Sidney? 

sid. And a feelin’. {Visualizing) It’s like diggin’ in the 
gravel with the rest o’ the gang. 
alivia. In the gravel? 

sid. The boss put the idea inta our heads that mebbe if we 
dug in fur enough we’d find a vein o’ gold. He didn’t say nothin’ 
but that, an’ still we dig — dig. Dig as though mebbe there was 
gold in there sure enough. There ain’t. But still it gives me 


The Curse O’ God 155 

that feelin’, ya know — the feelin’ that mebbe there is gold just 
because the boss said there was. Ya won’t understand. 
alivia ( who hasn't heard much of it). No, Sidney. 
sid ( half to himself). That’s the way Marthy ’n’ me’s been 
goin’ on. Diggin’, always diggin’. That’s the way we’ve been 
livin’ an’ prayin’ ever since — well, ever since we brought old 
paw an’ the rest o’ ya to shame. There ain’t nothin’ to it — 
there ain’t no gold in the pit, but we make believe there is just 
the same, Marthy an’ me. An’ all the time — all the time we got 
it right before us, right before our eyes. . . . 
alivia. What are you saying? Got what? 
sid. Blind Billy, the curse o’ God! {He coughs.) 
alivia. Blind Billy. . . . 

sid. Yeah. God ain’t relentin’. It’s like Jerusha says, ya 
reap what ya sow. 

alivia. It’s not God, Sidney. 

sid. Naw, it ain’t God — it’s the curse o’ God. 

alivia. It’s the devil that does those things. God’s good. 

sid {bewildered). God’s stronger than the devil. 

alivia. What? 

sid. I say, God’s stronger than the devil. 
alivia. Sure he is. 

sid {quietly). Well, why does he let the devil do things that 
ain’t good? 

alivia. What did you say, Sidney? 
sid. Nothin’. 

alivia. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking of late. There 
comes a time when we’ve got to think about such things whether 
we want to or not. 
sid. Mm-hm. 

alivia. A time when we feel a darkness and a mystery just 
ahead — when we get to thinking maybe our maws and paws did 
know something about it — a time when we got to believe that 
there’s a heaven and a — hell, (jerusha returns.) 


156 


Vesper Dramas 


jerusha. Humph! ( Coming to alivia) Alivia, d’ya want 
me ta wheel ya out in the yard? Ya don’t want ta stay here , 
do ya? 

alivia. I’m all right. 

jerusha {hissing to sid). Ya got yer cheek talkin’ ta her. 
sid. Don’t pester me, Jerusha. I ain’t feelin’ good. 
jerusha. I shouldn’t think ya would with all that’s on yer 
mind. ( sid looks at her quietly. He coughs and turns his hack .) 
alivia. Sid isn’t looking any too well. 
jerusha. Humph! 

alivia. You might be kind to him, Jerusha. 
jerusha {rebelling). Ya got yer nerve, Alivia Stewart, 
askin’ that! Ya fergit, I s’pose, that he shamed us out o’ society 
an’ all six years back! Just like sendin’ us ta jail — an’ we in¬ 
nocent, too. 

sid. Fergit it, ya old fool. 

jerusha. Don’t ya old fool me or I’ll see ya off the place. 
(sid is hack pouring himself a drink.) 

alivia. He’s not well, Jerusha. He coughs something like 
his paw used to. 

jerusha. I don’t care how he coughs. I made up my mind 
about him long ago. 

alivia. He hasn’t had an easy time of it. 
jerusha. It ain’t my fault. Don’t be so relentin’! 
alivia. He isn’t going to live long, Sidney isn’t. 
jerusha. What if he ain’t? It’ll just go to prove what I’ve 
always been sayin’ — it’ll be the curse just like fell on blind 
Billy. An’ that fool doctor makin’ him believe mebbe he kin 
see! It’ll take more’n a doctor ta lift the curse o’ God! 
sid {coming down). God didn’t do that! 
jerusha. Stop talkin’ ta me! 
sid. God don’t send no curses! 

jerusha. I’ll learn ya! ( Unable to control her fury y she 

strides up and slaps sid a stinging blow across the cheek.) 
There, ya — ya dirty sinner! 


The Curse O’ God 


157 


alivia ( wheeling her chair around ). Jerusha! 
sid (calmly). Ya shouldn’t a-done that, Jerusha. 
jerusha. It’s what I’ve been wantin’ ta do fer six years! 
(She exits.) 

alivia. Jerusha! ( sid goes hack to the window where he 

looks out. He has grown older and weaker in the moment. 
alivia studies him.) Sidney. 
sid. Yeah? 

alivia. I’m sorry, Sidney. 
sid. Ya didn’t do it, Livy. 
alivia. Come on and sit down. 
sid. I kin stand. ( Louder) I kin stand, Livy. 
alivia. You mustn’t let it matter, Sidney. 
sid. It won’t. ( Then , abstractedly , to himself) There’s still 
gold ahead — in the old pit. There’s still gold, Marthy. We 
got ta keep on hopin’, ya ’n’ me — 

alivia. What are you saying, Sidney? 
sid. Nothin’. (He pulls up one of the kitchen chairs and 
seats himself.) A man’s gotta suffer if he wants ta find 
gold. . . . 

alivia. You aren’t well, are you? 

sid. It’s funny I didn’t get mad, ain’t it? I should a-knocked 
her down. 

alivia. You’re pale and coughing. 

sid. When a man’s got a family an’ mouths ta feed an’ doc¬ 
tors ta pay he don’t think o’ hisself much. 
alivia. Doctors ? 

sid. Naw — doctor. Just a eye-doctor fer Billy. (He 
coughs and is much weaker.) 
alivia. Oh. 

sid. That’s why I’m workin’ in the pit, ta pay the doctor. 
He keeps a cloth ’round Billy’s eyes all the time — workin’ — 
a-workin’ against the curse. An’ mebbe he’ll be able ta see! 
Think o’ it, Livy! 

jerusha (returning). Amanda’s got a hen fer ya outside. 


158 


Vesper Dramas 


sid. Thanks, Jerusha. {He gets up slowly.) 

ALiyiA. You aren’t well, Sidney. 
sid. I’m all right. 

jerusha. It’s the curse a-workin’! Ya can’t get away from 
it! It’ll follow ya indoors an’ out, no matter where ya are! 
(sid exits.) Humph! Actin’up! 
alivia. Sidney isn’t well. 
jerusha. I can’t understand you, Livy! 
alivia. I’ve been thinking things over lately, Jerusha, and 
since you hit him I — 

jerusha. It’s what he needed! He had it cornin’! Ya kin 
bet I don’t play with sinners like him! 

alivia. Mm-hm. We better let him lie down for a while be¬ 
fore he starts back to town. 

jerusha. What! Under our roof! 
alivia. He’s our half-brother, Jerusha. 
jerusha. That don’t mean nothin’ ta me after what he done! 
{The telephone rings three short rings which are repeated a 
; few times during their next remarks.) Who’s that? 
alivia. What ? 
jerusha. Can’t ya hear it? 
alivia. Yes, I hear it. Answer it, Jerusha. 
jerusha {going to the phone). Must be from the church. 
. . . Hello. Who? This is Jerusha Stewart. Yes. Marth 
— Martha. ( To alivia) It’s her! Sid’s wife! Well, what d’ya 
want? Talk slow, can’t ya? I say talk slow! What? What? 
Ya don’t mean he — What? Hello — hello —. {She puts the 
receiver hack , utterly defeated and absorbed.) 

alivia. What is it, Jerusha? (jerusha, dazed , comes 
slowly to Alivia's chair.) What is it? 
jerusha. He — he kin see. 
alivia. What? 
jerusha. Blind Billy kin see! 


The Curse O’ God 159 

alivta. He can see? Thank God! You must tell Sid! Get 
him, Jerusha! Get Sidney. 

jerusha {bitterly). Blind Billy kin see. 

ALiviA. Get Sidney. 

jerusha {undone as sid and amanda are heard entering the 
porch). They— they’re cornin’—I’ll tell him. Yeh, I’ll tell 
him. 

alivia. Sid — Sidney — 
sid {from outside). Yes, Livy? 

alivia. Sidney! Come in! {Suddenly there is the sound of 
a person falling, accompanied by Amanda's scream, jerusha 
straightens, her eyes blazing. There is a moment of tense 
silence.) 

jerusha ( quietly, in a bated, triumphant whisper). Some¬ 
thin’s happened! 

alivia ( awed ). What ? 
jerusha. Sid’s fell ! 

alivia. Jerusha! Sidney! Blind Billy kin see! 
jerusha. Shut up, Livy! 

amanda {entering; stoically). Sid’s fell on the porch. 

alivia. What is it ? 

amanda. Sid’s fell. 

jerusha. Amanda, is — is he — 

amanda {grimly). He’s dead. {She turns a cold, victorious 
eye to jerusha.) 

alivia {transfixed, wheeling her chair slowly toward the 
door). Not— not dead? 

jerusha {sovereignly). The curse o’ God! {But as she 
slowly turns to the door she is qualmish; but only for the mo¬ 
ment, as she says profoundly) Under our roof? {This time 
amanda snorts quietly, rewarded by a look of dismay from je¬ 
rusha, while the curtain falls.) 


160 


Vesper Dramas 


SUGGESTED WORSHIP PROGRAM 

Organ Prelude : “ Meditation ” Klein 
Call to Worship 

And it came to pass, that, while they communed together 

and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. 
Hymn : “ Dear Lord and Father of Mankind ” Whittier 
Responsive Reading 

Leader: Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least 
of these, my brethren, saith the Master, ye have done it 
unto me. 

Congregation: Help us, O Father, that we may recognize 
thy children. 

Leader: Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, 
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he who doeth 
the will of my Father who is in heaven. 

Congregation: Teach us to discern, O God, the things of 
thy kingdom; save us from the deceptions of self-will. 

Leader: Pure religion and undefiled before God and the 
Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their 
affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. 

Congregation: O God, our Father, may we share of thy 
Spirit and thus be brought nigh unto thee. 

Leader: Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that 
men should do unto you, do ye even so to them; for this 
is the law and the prophets. 

Congregation: Teach us thy will, 0 Lord. 

In unison: 

Some word of hope, for hearts 
Burdened with fears, 


The Curse O’ God 


161 


Some balm of peace, for eyes 
Blinded with tears, 

Some dews of mercy shed, 

Some wayward footsteps led, 

Dear Lord to thee. 

— Edwin P. Parker 

Hymn : “ Master, no Offering, Costly and Sweet ” Parker 

Scripture Lesson : Rom. 12 

Offertory: “ God so Loved the World ” Shawker 

Offertory Prayer 

Help us, our Father, to understand that the offerings 
most acceptable to thee are those of humility and brother¬ 
hood. Consecrate these gifts to the larger offering in¬ 
tended. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Prayer 

Our Father in heaven, accept our lives as thou didst ac¬ 
cept the gifts we placed on the altar. The gifts are sym¬ 
bolic of the larger sacrifice. Help us that we may live day 
by day so that our living may reflect thy Spirit in the 
world. Make us kind and tolerant in our attitude toward 
others. May we seek to find the lovely among the unlovely, 
to bring character from darkness and to reveal by our trust 
and confidence that we believe that thy Spirit is in human¬ 
kind. When men sin, keep us from casting stones. Instead 
may we seek to redeem them from their sin. While it is 
difficult for us to approach Christlikeness, help us, in so 
far as we are able, to lift rather than to cast down, to help 
rather than to condemn. May we never think of the curse 
that comes from human meanness as the curse of God, or 
of the faltering of human hearts as the withdrawal of thy 
hand. Amen. 

Hymn: “ There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy” F. W. Faber 

Presentation of the Drama 


162 


Vesper Dramas 


Benediction 

Now unto the God who smiles upon mankind, believing 
that eventually each will find his relation to the Eternal, 
be our tribute of love and devotion forever. Amen. 
Organ Posteude : “ Sanctus 99 Gounod 


MOTHER OWEN 
KEEPS CHRISTMAS 


CHARACTERS 


mother owen, an invalid , about seventy 
john owen, her son , fifty 
mary, her attendant , seventeen 
Gordon, Mary's suitor 
a boy 

A GIRD 

Scene: A room in a modest house. 

Time: A Christmas Eve, the present. 

A room in the modest home of Mother Owen. Friendly win¬ 
dows look out on a Christmas-Eve landscape , and a door at right 
opens to Mother Owen's world. At left is a doorway communi¬ 
cating with other parts of the house. The furniture in the room 
is chiefly old , well worn pieces , all brightened now by a carefully 
decorated Christmas tree of modest size , with a number of 
wrapped gifts piled at its base. 



MOTHER OWEN 
KEEPS CHRISTMAS 


As the play opens , mother owen is being brought into the 
room in a wheel chair. Tonight , as always , she is the personifi¬ 
cation of good will and cheer , a woman of simple and beautiful 
faith , mellow and wise with the wisdom of seventy years. Her 
attendant is a girl of seventeen , mary. mary places the chair so 
that mother owen can look out into the night. 

mary. There, Mother Owen. (She adjusts the coverlet on 
Mother Owen's lap.) 

mother owen. Thank you, Mary. 

mary (happily; looking outside). It’s a pretty night, isn’t 
it? 

mother owen (with tender emotion). Christmas Eve. . . . 
mary (in a happy mood). Yes, Mother Owen. (She busies 
herself about the room; adjusts a floor lamp so that its light 
will fall over Mother Owen's shoulders. Occasionally she sends 
an expectant glance out of the window .) 

mother owen (half to her self , chuckling). To think I have 
all my shopping finished already. . . . Took me seventy years 
to learn that, but I got there. I reckon half the folks tonight 
are still so busy at the stores they ain’t got time to think where 
Christmas got its name, (mary, trying to hide her impatience , 
wanting something to do , arranges things , looks around.) 
mary. Now, let’s see, where are your glasses? 
mother owen (looking at mary whose back is turned to her). 
What’s that? 

mary (searching). I wanted to find your glasses before I 
left. You’ll want to read and — (She turns , looks at mother 

165 


166 


Vesper Dramas 


owen, realizes that the latter is wearing the glasses.) Oh, of 
course, you have them on! How silly of me! ( She comes over 
gaily.) Let me clean them for you. (She takes the glasses .) 

mother owen. Well, I used to be that jittery, too, on 
Christmas Eve, waiting for my young man to take me to the 
service. 

mary (cleaning the glasses vigorously). Were you really? 
mother owen (in playful offense). Well, now, certainly I 
was. He used to drive up with his horse and cutter looking for 
all the world like one of them there Currier and Ives prints we 
used to have, (mary listens attentively; mother owen con¬ 
tinues, visualizing) Always had the finest horse in Grigson, 
George did, and the cutter trimmed in red stripes with a yellow 
ornament of a harp and a cupid on the dash. And the whip was 
black with yellow and red circles running every which way 
around the handle. There were bells on the horse, too, and the 
way they tinkled on a crisp night you’d a-thought sure it was 
the angels’ orchestry. Too bad you youngsters was born so 
late. 

mary (with a quiet laugh). Why, Mother Owen? 
mother owen. Not to know what it is to feel a blooded horse 
pull you through the fields — with the snow blowing through 
your hair — and the wind biting at your cheeks — making new 
trails that nobody had cut out for you before. Shucks! You 
never even heard the crickling steel of a cutter on a frosty night! 

mary (putting the glasses hack on mother owen). Oh, now, 
you’d have loved to have Mr. Owen drive up with a nice closed 
car, a heater turned on full blast. 

mother owen. A right good way to take cold, too! (She 
chuckles, takes Mary's hand.) Of course I would, child. 

mary. Anyway, Gordon and I are going to walk to the serv¬ 
ice tonight. 

mother owen. Real pioneers. . . . (Then, in eager confi¬ 
dence) But tell me, Mary, have you got his gift all wrapped up? 


Mother Owen Keeps Christmas 167 

mary ( turning to the packages under the tree). Yes, I — 
Oh, I hope he’ll like it! 

mother OWEN. If he doesn’t he ought to be spanked. 
mary. But I know he’d have liked a wrist watch. And I’m 
giving him a scarf. 

mother owen. It’ll keep him from getting sore throat. 
That’s worth a heap more than knowing the time of day. 

mary. Do you suppose he’ll like the color? Those red and 
yellow pin stripes. . . . ( She comes to Mother Owen's chair,) 
mother owen. Didn’t I just get through telling you that’s 
what George had the cutter painted with? Menfolks don’t 
change such a tolerable lot in half a century. ( She takes the * 
package; reads) “To Gordon, from Mary.” ( She smiles.) 
I’ve always thought it right pretty that our names was alike, 
yours and mine. You don’t mind, do you? 
mary. Oh, Mother Owen. 

mother owen. It wouldn’t do you much good if you 
did. . . . Well, I didn’t make much out of my name, I guess. 
Here I sit a-Christmas Eve with nary a place to go. Just a 
botheration to you and John — the one son I’ve got left. ( With 
a mischievous note) Do you know what I told Reverend Smith 
once? I said, the good Lord can’t have more than two ideas in 
mind for keeping me here. The one is so’s I can go on paying 
taxes and the other is to brighten the corner where I’ve got to 
be. I can’t for the life of me see nothing but that. 

mary. I can. I heard Reverend Smith say that the ministry 
you carried on from your chair often made him ashamed of him¬ 
self. (mother owen lifts a hand in quiet remonstrance.) Yes, 
he did. 

mother owen. Beats all how these young preachers are be¬ 
ginning to stretch the truth. 

mary. But it’s true! You’ve always been so patient and 
good to everyone. Everybody in Grigson says that. You’ve 
been good enough to me to be my real mother. (A church hell 


168 


Vesper Dramas 


rings in the distance.) There! Do you hear? I do wonder 
where Gordon — 

mother owen ( looking out). There he comes. Look at him 
— proud as a peacock! (mary is returning the package to its 
place.) Get the package hid good! Don’t let him get a hand 
on it! 

mary ( dropping the package). Oh, my gracious! ( She 

picks it up and replaces it.) 

mother owen. Run to the door, child. ( There is a knock 
at the door.) 

mary. I will! (She goes.) 

mother owen (while mary is offstage). And some folks say 
love is old stuff to these young’uns. Old stuff, shucks! (mary 
and Gordon are heard exchanging greetings.) 

mary. — thought you were never coming. 

Gordon. —had to help dad start the car. (They come in.) 
Merry Christmas, Mother Owen. 

mother owen. Merry Christmas, Gordon. (They shake 
hands.) 

mary. I’ll get my things. (She goes.) 

Gordon (talking until mary is out of sight). Awfully sorry 
to come so late, but we — (Then, confidentially) Mother Owen, 
I’ve got Mary’s present and I want you to keep it for me. Want 
it to be a real surprise. Here. (He has taken a small box from 
his pocket.) If she sees the size of it she’ll guess it first thing. 

mother owen (slightly disturbed ). You don’t mean it’s 
a . . . ? 

Gordon. What? 

mother owen. A ring? 

Gordon (laughing). Now, Mother Owen. 

mother owen. Well, I. . . . (She has taken the package.) 

Gordon. No, they’re earrings ! 

mother owen. Oh, earrings. . . . 

Gordon. And you ought to see how clever I was when I got 


Mother Owen Keeps Christmas 


169 


her to pick them out! She doesn’t know a thing about — ( mary 
returns quickly; he catches himself) Yes, seems there’re always 
more chores on Christmas Eve. I remember — 
mary. Let’s go! 

gordcn. Well, good-by, Mother Owen! {He winks at her. 
mother owen has put the box in her dress pocket under the cov¬ 
erlet.) 

mary. Good-by, Mother Owen. John should be back any 
moment. Hate to leave you alone! 

mother owen. I’ll be right here when you get back. And 
. . . here, Mary. ( She reaches into her pocket; Gordon 
watches , puzzled.) 

mary ( glancing from one to the other). What are you hid¬ 
ing? 

mother owen. I just want to give you this. ( She hands 
mary a dollar bill.) You put this dollar in the collection for me. 
(gordon is relieved. He has gone over to the tree, looks at the 
gifts.) 

mary. Surely. 

Gordon ( picking up his package). Say, is this mine? 
mary. Gordon! {She takes it from him.) 

Gordon. One guess is all I need for that, Mother Owen. 
mother owen. Don’t be too sure. 

mary. You haven’t any idea! ( While mary is replacing the 
package Gordon whispers something to mother owen. mary 
sees him.) 

mary. Does he know, Mother Owen? 
mother owen. He’s way off. 

Gordon. We’ll see. 
mary. But if he knows it — 

Gordon ( taking her arm). Oh, come along! 

mary {over her shoulder). Goodnight, Mother Owen. 

{They go. mother owen draws herself nearer to the win¬ 
dow, watches them . Then she takes out the box containing the 


170 


Vesper Dramas 


earrings, looks at it, shakes it and returns it to her pocket. 
After a moment john owen enters. He vs a man of the soil, 
honest, considerate of his mother. He is in his fifties, a widower. 
He carries a market basket filled with groceries.) 

john (as he enters). Here comes the grocery-man, mother. 
mother owen. You’ve got it all fixed up, have you. John ? 
john (bringing the basket to her chair). All I could get in. 
Looks right nice, don’t it? 

mother owen (adjusting the articles). Sugar — coffee — 
oranges — 

john. Eggs. I took the chicken to the Petersons — 
mother owen (eagerly). Were they glad to get it? 
john. They didn’t refuse it. 

mother owen (spying something in the basket). And you 
did put in the pitcher, didn’t you? (She holds up a beautiful 
little old glass creamer.) 

john. Well, I know how fighting mad you were when I — 
mother owen. The Talbots will appreciate it, John. Just 
like the Petersons appreciated the chicken and just like the 
Mareks will thank you for the groceries. 

john. I still don’t know whether you’d ought to be giving 
away all those antiques. 

mother owen (disparagingly). Antiques! You wouldn’t 
call me an antique, would you? 

john (smiling). Well, I don’t know — 

mother owen (giving him an amused glance). And this 
pitcher don’t beat me by more than twenty years. No, John — 
who knows whether I’ll see another Christmas Eve — 

john. Now, mother. . . . (He takes the pitcher from her, 
takes the basket to a chair where he sets it down.) 

mother owen. Oh, I don’t want to be sentimental — but a 
little sentiment ain’t never hurt nobody much, either. No — it’s 
just a matter of putting my house in order, that’s what it is. 
The things people have given to me I just give back to them. 


Mother Owen Keeps Christmas 


171 


Well now, there’s no cheaper way to keep Christmas than that. 
There’s that pitcher. A cousin of the Talbots gave that to me 
once. Now Mrs. Talbot has gone off on this antique business so 
I give it to her. Just kept it for her these years. And John — 
john. Yes, mother? 

mother owen. Here’s Gordon’s present to Mary. Take 
me over to the tree so’s I can give it a good displaying for when 
she comes back. 

john ( coming to her chair; playfully). When are you going 
to stop playing around with those young’uns, mother? {He 
starts wheeling her over.) 

mother owen. Earrings. Ain’t it strange, that’s what 
your father gave me one time. Wonder when times is ever goin’ 
to change. There, I’ll put it right here beside hers to him. Look 
at this — wrapped up like it was something that might explode 
any minute. (She examines Mary's package which contains the 
scarf.) 

john {reading over her shoulder). “To Gordon, from 
Mary.” That’s the scarf she got for him. 

mother owen {looking quietly at the package). John, how 
many watches have you got? 

john. Watches? Why, just one. 

mother owen {replacing the package). Now, that’s a- 
plenty, ain’t it? 

john. I hope you weren’t figuring on getting me a — 
mother owen. No, no, but the watch I gave your father 
once ’fore we was married is there in that table drawer. Let’s 
go and look at it. 

john {wheeling her over). What are you aiming to do now? 
mother owen. You s’pose Mary’s Gordon’d like that? 
john {opening the drawer for her). I haven’t seen that — 
What? Gordon? I’ll say he wouldn’t! Fellows don’t wear big 
watches like that any more, mother. 

mother owen. That’s what I thought. {He hands her the 


172 


Vesper Dramas 


•watch.) That’s what I thought. Nobody’d want that, not even 
you — would you, John? 

john. Of course, from the sentimental side — 
mother owen. Sentimental side, shucks! No, there’s just 
one person’d give a thing for this and that’s Dave Carson. Yes, 
sir. Dave has wanted that watch more than once. He’s got a 
hankerin’for picking up old timepieces. John. . . . (She looks 
at him with a quiet smile.) You know what I want, don’t you, 
John? Stop at the jewelry store on your way round with that 
basket and trade this off to Dave for a wrist watch. 
john. A wrist watch? 

mother owen (studying the watch in her hands). Now, I 
could say that I remembered the Christmas Eve I gave him this 
and that it was a night like tonight. . . . But it wasn’t really. 
It was like spring that Christmas. There wasn’t a mite of snow. 
And George said it felt more like the Fourth of July. When we 
came back from the church program that night we all went out¬ 
side and we had the tree out in the yard. We wouldn’t even have 
needed the candles far as light was concerned, on account of the 
way the moon came through the trees that night. 

john. Were you and father engaged then already? 
mother owen. Well, we was after that. Guess my giving 
him the watch didn’t interfere with that none. (She has been 
winding the stem of the watch and now holds it to her ear.) 
john. Don’t tell me it still runs ! 

mother owen (chuckling). Just needed a little encourage¬ 
ment. Now, John, you do some running, too. We’ll want the 
wrist watch wrapped in the package before the children get back. 

john. But what is Gordon going to say — and Mary? It’s 
not as if they were your children. 

mother owen (giving him the watch) . You just let your old 
mother keep Christmas in her own way, John Owen. (Half to 
herself) Anyway, if I get a kick out of it. . . . 

john (wheeling her back to the window). What’s that you 


Mother Owen Keeps Christmas 173 

say? Kick out of it? I’m afraid you’ll never grow up, mother. 
There. Will you be all right for a while? 

mother owen. I won’t as much as get out of my chair. (He 
adjusts the coverlet .) Thank you, John. Now you might give 
me the good Book and my reading board and I’ll be no more 
botheration. 

john ( putting a hoard across her chair on which he lays the 
open Bible ). I’ve got to get all this straight now. The groceries 
to the Marek family down near the tracks — the pitcher to the 
Talbots — exchange the watch for a wrist watch. (He studies 
her quizzically .) It’s harder for you to give up that watch than 
you’ll — 

mother owen. Hard nothing! There it was a-lying for 
fourteen years since your father was called away. Why, it was 
just waiting for a Christmas Eve like this. Anyway, imagine 
anybody carrying something like that in a vest pocket. 

john (with a sigh) . I stopped long ago trying to figure you 
out. If the world was full of people like you everybody’d be 
giving things away until nobody’d know whose was which. 
(mother owen turns some leaves in her Bible; john puts on his 
coat.) If you’d only do this on Christmas — but you’ve got the 
notion Christmas lasts from one December to the next. (After 
a moment , in deep sincerity) You’ve got a way with you, though, 
that’s always made me understand God just a little better. (He 
comes to her , presses her hand.) 

mother owen. John. . . . Be off with you now. And don’t 
be getting into any mischief. 
john. I’ll be right back. 

mother owen. You might turn out the other lights, John. 
Just leave this one for me. (He turns out the other lights in the 
room , leaving her under the light of the floor lamp , then exits. 
mother owen begins to read to herself). 6i And there were in 
the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch 
over their flock by night. And suddenly the angel of the Lord 


174 


Vesper Dramas 


appeared unto them, saying, Be not afraid: behold, I bring you 
good tidings of great joy. . . . For unto you is born in the city 
of Bethlehem a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. . . .” ( Her 

voice dies away and she falls asleep.) 

{During the above the light has dimmed perceptibly , leaving 
the room in semi-darkness for a moment. Then a dim light — 
as if it were moonlight — falls over the center of the room. It is 
very quiet. An organ is heard playing “ 0 Little Town of 
Bethlehem ” for a while. Then , from outside , comes a soft sound 
of sleigh bells and laughter. A boy and a girl in their late teens 
enter. The girl wears a coat and gown of the fashion of about 
sixty years ago. 

This interlude has the atmosphere of a dream picture. Ar¬ 
ticles and persons referred to are not actually visible.) 
the girl. Wasn’t it fun to give out those sacks! 
the boy (helping her with her coat). And as usual you gave 
yours away. 

the girl. To old Grayson. I just know he hasn’t any 
teeth to bite those gumdrops! 

the boy (laughing). What about the walnuts? 
the girl. Don’t you like the tree? 

the boy. It’s a beauty. When do we light the candles? 
the girl. We can do that now! Would you like to? I’ll 
get some fire from the kitchen. 
the boy. I’ve got an idea. 
the girl. What? 

the boy. Let’s take the tree out in the yard! 
the girl. Let’s do! It’s warm enough, isn’t it? 
the boy. More like the Fourth of July than Christmas, 
far as the weather goes. First time I ever put sleigh bells on 
the buggy! 

the girl. You take it out. Do you think you can? 
the boy (pantomiming). Easy as can be! Watch! 


Mother Owen Keeps Christmas 175 

the girl. You’ll get needles all over you! I’ll bring the 
presents. Oh, be careful of the door! 

the boy. Let’s light it before your parents come from the 
service. ( He has moved into the shadows.) 

the girl (as if attendinq to gifts; sinqinq softly). 

“ O little town of Bethlehem, 

How still we see thee lie; 

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep 
The silent stars go by. . . .” 
the boy. What do you suppose you’re going to get? 
the girl. From — ? 

the boy. Me. You don’t ever ask. I believe you’d rather 
give presents than get them. Did you give everybody in your 
class something? 

the girl. Isn’t it a strange Christmas? There’s not a 
mite of snow. 

the boy. What would you like better than anything else? 
the girl. Don’t make me guess! 

the boy. Here it is. (He pantomimes as if holding out a 
gift.) 

the girl. I can’t open it now. 
the boy. Why not? 

the girl. We never open the packages till everybody is 
back from the service. 

the boy. But everybody is here. And the tree is lit. 
the girl. Of course! I’m such a botheration. 
the boy. Open it. 

the girl ( as if to someone near her) . Shall I, mother ? ( To 
the boy) And here is yours ! (As though giving him a package.) 

the boy. It’s a bigger package than mine. Not much, 
though. 

THE GIRL. You first! 

the boy. Let’s open them together. 


176 


Vesper Dramas 


the girl. I’m so upset! You don’t mean they are earrings! 
the boy. Like them? You wouldn’t have guessed it, would 
you? Remember the day we were with young Dave Carson in 
his father’s store? You said you liked them! 

the girl. I never thought I’d get them! Don’t they — 
Look, mother! Father, don’t you think they’re lovely! 
the boy {quietly). Mary! 
the girl {laughing). Are you surprised? 
the boy. But — that’s an awfully wonderful present — a 
watch like this! 

the girl. Is it running? 

the boy. Sure, it’s running. Look! You can tell the time 
out here in the moonlight! Don’t know how I’ll ever thank you! 

the girl. Just think of me sometimes . . . when you look 
at it, won’t you? 
the boy. Sure. 

the girl. Guess we can be a little sentimental — a-Christ- 
mas Eve. That’s the way mother always kept Christmas. 
Isn’t it, mother? 

{The lights slowly dim. For a moment it is dark and quiet. 
An organ plays “ 0 Little Town of Bethlehem.” When Mother 
Owen's lamp is lit again she is still asleep in her chair. The 
boy and the girl are gone and the scene is as before. After a 
moment john owen enters from right.) 

john. Well, mother, I’ve made the rounds in real Santa 
Claus fashion. {He takes off his coat.) Put the basket on the 
steps of Mareks’ house ’cause I knew you didn’t want them to — 
{He notices that his mother does not move.) Mother— {He 
comes over to her, shakes her gently, mother owen comes 
slowly out of her sleep, looks at him.) Sleeping? 

mother owen {nodding slowly). Think of it. Sit here read¬ 
ing the good Book and just fall asleep. . . . Well, that just 
means you’ll have to read two chapters to me later. I never do 
sleep when you read, John. 


Mother Owen Keeps Christmas 177 

john. Now, you just don’t worry about that—( relieving 
her of the hoard and the Bible.) 

mother owen {eagerly). Did you get it? 
john {taking a package from his pocket). After walking 
around the block three times, debating with myself. Yes, I got 
it. And as glad as old Dave was to get the watch I wonder if we 
hadn’t ought to — 

mother owen ( taking the package). All wrapped up in that 
new-fangled paper! 

john. It’s a beautiful watch. 

mother owen. We’ll just put it inside her package like this. 
It must look as though it came from her. Get me over there, 
John. {She chuckles as john moves her over to the table.) 
john. I think the service is just about over, too. 
mother owen {handing him the package with the scarf). 
Here, you undo it. And remember how it was tied. 

john. You know, I wonder if this won’t be embarrassing for 
the girl though. 

mother owen. What do you mean, John? 
john. Won’t she maybe think that her scarf is put in/the 
shade with a present like this — feel like maybe hers wasn’t 
enough ? 

mother owen {solemnly). Now, I never looked at it that 
way. Just rushed in with an idee — 

john. And won’t Gordon think she’s spending an awful lot? 
mother owen. Well, now — But I owe it to the girl, John 
— letting any sentiment out of the picture for the time. It ain’t 
many young folks’d bother with an old creation like me. And 
what we’ve been able to pay her ain’t going to make her rich. I 
just thought it’d be a grand surprise seeing we ain’t got no one 
else to be playing tricks like this on. . . . 

john {ready to open the package). Well, what do you think? 
mother owen. Land! I don’t know. Maybe we’d ought to 
take it back and — 


178 


Vesper Dramas 


john. Now, here! I wasn’t aiming to get you to thinking 
like that. I guess Mary will get as much of a surprise out of it 
as Gordon. 

mother owen. But maybe a girl shouldn’t be giving pres¬ 
ents like that these days. 

john. I’m going to do it! (He starts to untie the package.) 
mother owen. John, I don’t know — 

john. Anyway I’m not keen about walking around the block 
three times again — this time exchanging it hack! If this is 
the way you want to keep Christmas, this is the way you’re go¬ 
ing to keep it. I never did hear about Santa Claus ever making 
any very bad mistakes. There, now we’ll lay the watch right on 
top. . . . ( Business with package.) 

mother owen. If there was ever a jack-in-the-box this is 
one! You think you can get it back the way it was so there 
won’t be no suspecting before things ever get started? 

john. I guess what I was trying to say all along was that 
I didn’t want to be doing anything that might break up the 
friendship between them. 

mother owen. Break it up! (She chuckles.) I’ve got a 
feeling it might go just the other way. And that’s what I worry 
about. Oh, I know it ain’t right and I know these young’uns go 
the way of all the rest of us, but tonight when he gave me that 
box of his and I thought it was a ring — I got such a catch in 
my throat I must a-let on what I was thinking sure enough. 
Now here I am maybe urging along just what I was afraid of 
having happen! 

john (having wrapped the package). There, could you ever 
tell there’s been a mouse in this ? 

mother owen. “ To Gordon, from Mary.” (Noise at 
door.) Lands! There they are! 

(john starts bringing mother owen hack to the window . 
mary and Gordon come in. mary has a flowering plant wrapped 
in paper.) 


Mother Owen Keeps Christmas 


179 


Gordon. Merry Christmas, Mr. Owen! 
john. Merry Christmas, Gordon! 

mary. Look, Mother Owen, Reverend Smith sent this. He 
said he’d come to see you tomorrow. 

(The following conversation is largely simultaneous.) 

MOTHER OWEN. Well, Well. 

Gordon. We had a fine program, Mr. Owen. 
john. That’s right, put your things there, Gordon. 
mary ( unwrapping the plant for mother owen). This was 
on the pulpit through the program. Isn’t it nice? 
mother owen. People are too good to me. 
john ( to Gordon). Big crowd there, I imagine. 

Gordon. Church was packed. (He approaches the pile of 
gifts.) Mr. Owen — (He draws john near the tree , shows him 
the gift for mary. ) 

john. I see. And what do you suppose you’ll get from her? 
Gordon. I’ve got an idea. (He pantomimes to indicate a 
scarf.) 

mary (setting the plant on a table). And everybody sends 
Merry Christmas to you, Mother Owen. 

mother owen ( looking at the plant). Isn’t it pretty! 
mary. What did you do all evening? 

john. Oh, we just sat around. Not a very exciting evening, 
was it, mother ? 

mother owen (chuckling). It all depends — how you look 
at it, I mean. 

Gordon. Well, if I remember correctly this should be the 
time for the presents. (He takes the package containing the 
earrings) To Mary, from Gordon! 
mary. Oh, shouldn’t we wait ? 

GORDON. Why? 

mother owen. John — (She makes a sign suggesting that 
they leave in order that Gordon and mary may be alone.) 
mary. I should say not. You’re staying! 


180 


Vesper Dramas 


Gordon. Of course you are! Here, Mother Owen, this is for 
you. And this is for you, Mr. Owen. ( Business of giving out 
packages.) 

mother owen. Now, what do you mean, getting something 
for me? 

mary. This is yours, Gordon! {Ad lib. Thank you! 
throughout.) Mother Owen! Mr. Owen! ( Gives them pack¬ 

ages.) 

Gordon ( shaking his package). I wonder what it is. It rat¬ 
tles, or does it? 

john. And this is from the two of us, Gordon. And this is 
for you, Mary. You’ll have to overlook the way it’s wrapped — 
I never was much for doing things up. 

Gordon. That’s one thing Mary can do. Look at this — 
a perfect job. Who’s going to open first? 

mary. You. 

Gordon. I think Mother Owen should. 

mary. Of course! 

mother owen. Now, we’ll let Mary. 

Gordon. Open it. 

mary. You first, Gordon. 

Gordon. All right, let’s open them together. 

(From this point on , through the following conversation be¬ 
tween Gordon and mary, the same mood prevails as in the fan¬ 
tasy. john owen has stepped into the shadow and mother 
owen watches as if in remembrance.) 

mary ( opening the box). I’m so upset! You don’t mean they 
are — Earrings! 

Gordon. Like them? You wouldn’t have guessed it, would 
you? Remember the day we were at Carson’s store? You said 
you liked them! 

mary. I never thought they’d ever be mine! Don’t they — 
Look, Mother Owen! Aren’t they lovely! 

Gordon {having opened his box). A scarf! And a beauty. 
{He takes it out , puts it around him.) 


Mother Owen Keeps Christmas 


181 


mary. Are you surprised? 

Gordon. I had an idea, but — What’s this? Another pres¬ 
ent? 

mary. I — ( She is bewildered.) 

Gordon. What’s the idea of — ( He has unwrapped it; 
stares at the wrist watch; saps quietly like the Boy in the fan¬ 
tasy) Mary! 

mary. But — Mother Owen. . . . ( She turns to mother 
owen who pantomimes an explanation to her.) 

Gordon. But — that’s an awfully wonderful present — a 
watch like this! Oh, that’s swell! Look, Mr. Owen! 

mary. Let me see it, too ! 

Gordon. You shouldn’t have given me anything like this — 
two presents ! (mary looks at the watch , holds back her tears.) 
Why did you do it, Mary? 

mary. I — I guess we can be a little sentimental on Christ¬ 
mas Eve! That’s the way Mother Owen always kept Christmas. 
Isn’t it, Mother Owen? {She comes to Mother Owen's chair , 
kneels beside it and buries her head in the old woman's lap , cry¬ 
ing softly.) 

mother owen. Yes, child. And I guess it’s a good way, too. 
The two fit together tolerable well, I think — the real meaning 
of Christmas and the giving of things from one to the other. 

Gordon. I certainly thank you, Mary. 

mary {looking up). You’re awfully welcome. 

Gordon. Here, Mr. Owen, help me get it on. {Business with 
watch.) 

mother owen {aside to mary). You don’t care, Mary? 

mary. Oh, no! But you shouldn’t have. 

mother owen. Now you just straighten up. . . . It’ll be 
our secret. I guess menfolks don’t know the half that goes into 
some gifts and that don’t hurt them none either. 

Gordon {coming over to them). There— {He shows the 
watch to mary.) I believe you’d rather give presents than get 
them. 


182 


Vesper Dramas 


mary. Oh, no, I wouldn’t really! 

mother owen. But wait, now we’ve got to open ours, John 
and I. And we’ll have a bite for you two after that. (She be¬ 
gins to open one of her packages; her voice trembles) I don’t 
know . . . there’s something about Christmas . . . never could 
understand it. 

mary. Listen, Mother Owen! 

(In the distance carolers are heard singing “ 0 Little Town 
of Bethlehem ” The music comes nearer steadily and mary 
moves Mother Owen's chair closer to the window.) 

mary. They’re from the church. 

mother owen. Now ain’t that nice! Do you think they’re 
doing that just for me? (The singing is very near — almost 
just outside the window.) Sometimes I think the people in the 
world are awfully good. . . . 

(As the song reaches its crescendo and the carolers gather at 
the window , the curtain is slowly drawn.) 


Mother Owen Keeps Christmas 


183 


SUGGESTED WORSHIP PROGRAM 

Organ Prelude : “ The March of the Magi ” Dubois 
Opening Sentences 

Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the 
Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall 
cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the 
Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon 
thee. 

And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the 
least among the princes of Judah; for out of thee shall 
come a governor, that shall rule my people Israel. 

Hymn : “ O Come all ye Faithful 99 Oakeley 
Responsive Reading 
Leader: 

O little town of Bethlehem, 

How still we see thee lie; 

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep 
The silent stars go by; 

Yet in thy dark streets shineth 
The everlasting Light; 

The hopes and fears of all the years 
Are met in thee tonight. 

Congregation: And there shall come forth a rod out of 
the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his 
roots; and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, 
the spirit of wisdom and understanding; the spirit of 
counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear 
of the Lord. 


184 


Vesper Dramas 


Leader: 

For Christ is born of Mary; 

And gathered all above, 

While mortals sleep the angels keep 
Their watch of wond’ring love. 

O morning stars, together 
Proclaim the holy birth, 

And praises sing to God the King, 

And peace to men on earth. 

Congregation: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son 
is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulders; 
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the 
mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. 
Leader: 

O holy Child of Bethlehem, 

Descend on us we pray; 

Cast out our sin, and enter in, 

Be born in us today. 

We hear the Christmas angels 
The great glad tidings tell; 

O come to us, abide with us, 

Our Lord Emmanuel. 

Congregation: And he shall not judge after the sight of 
his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears; 
but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and re¬ 
prove with equity the meek of the earth; and righteous¬ 
ness shall be the girdle of his waist and faithfulness the 
girdle of his loins. 

Gloria in Excelsis 
Prayer 

Almighty God, who hast revealed the glory of thy love 
in the face of Jesus Christ, and hast called us by him to live 
with thee as children: Let the Day-spring from on high 
visit us, and the Day-star arise in our hearts. May the 


Mother Owen Keeps Christmas 


185 


spirit of Jesus be born in us anew, teaching our love to 
remember, our anger to forgive, our unkindness to forget; 
that something of his beauty may be upon us, and that his 
grace may be shed abroad in our hearts. Make us compas¬ 
sionate one toward another, merciful, tenderhearted, for¬ 
giving one another; even as thou, O God, art compassionate 
toward us, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; for 
the sake of thy dear Son, our Saviour. Amen. 

— Service Book and Ordinal of the 
Presbyterian Church of South Africa 
Offertory Solo : “ He shall Feed his Flock ” Handel 
Hymn : “ Luther’s Cradle Hymn ” 

Presentation of the Drama 

Postlude: “ Hallelujah Chorus ” Handel 

Benediction, to be pronounced during an organ postlude: 

And now may the Spirit of the Father of us all, incar¬ 
nated in the Babe of Bethlehem, cleanse your hearts and 
bring you great joy of Christian hope. Amen. 
















DAYS TO COME 


CHARACTERS 


FIRST FIGURE 
SECOND FIGURE 
THE MOTHER 
THE YOUTH 
THE VISITOR 

Scene: A church chancel. 

Time: The present. 

The setting for this drama is the church chancel itself . Per¬ 
haps no changes will he necessary other than a rearrangement of 
the chancel furnishings to allow proper playing space . The key¬ 
note of the scene is simplicity. The light is subdued. A musical 
background , very soft , will enhance the presentation . 


DAYS TO COME 


The play opens with two figures robed in black standing on 
either side of an altar, on which are many burning candles. 
These are snuffed out by the figures during their speeches prior 
to the entrance of the mother and the youth. When these 
enter, just one candle should remain lighted. 

The figures speak after the manner of a recitative. 

first figure. There is no blind terror these days driving 
man to religion. There is no central theme making man pledge 
allegiance to God. For the first time in history no compulsion of 
any kind forces man to seek the Infinite. 

second figure. For the first time in history man is invited, 
not compelled, to partake of spiritual truths. But man heeds 
no invitation. He is too engrossed in the world for spiritual re¬ 
flection. 

first figure. He retains a form of religion, but cares little 
about religion’s content or essentials. Darkness is come upon 
him, but he is content. 

second figure. Chaos and corruption, world depressions, 
strife, war, and death do not shake him from his lethargy. 

first figure. So many creeds, so many faiths, men go 
from doubt to disbelief. 

second figure. Where are the seekers, they who hunt ad¬ 
venture and experience in the ways of God? 

first figure. Where are the guards of faith whose voices 
spoke through martyrdom? They are unchampioned, desolate. 

second figure. Why do they say, “ Keep candles lighted ”? 
Here is the temple, but where are men to cast their souls upon 
the throne? 


189 


190 


Vesper Dramas 


first figure. Indifference moves across the land. Lament 
all you who fan religion’s flame. 

first and second figures. We are the thoughts widespread 
in Christendom. 

first figure. Does the old God still live who quickened men 
and asked response from those who defended his name? 

second figure. Is it only counted folly that men gave their 
lives for a belief? Faith’s deep cathedral rock — has it de¬ 
cayed, that people no longer kneel in prayer? 

first figure. Can life endure if it has lost relation to the 
Infinite ? 

second figure. Can nations stand where God has been de¬ 
stroyed? 

first figure. A lonely world without Him. 
second figure. A barren world. 

first figure. A godless world. Forgotten are the altars 
of the Lord where once men prayed. 

second figure. Wait! I felt a rush of air, cool from with¬ 
out. The candle flickered and now burns brighter. 

first figure. Someone has entered. Who comes into the 
chapel at this hour? 

second figure. It is a woman and a youth. They ap¬ 
proach. 

(The mother, a woman of middle age , has entered. At her 
side is a youth of fifteen.) 

the mother. This is the chapel, my son, where men have 
always come to find life and light and courage. It is God’s 
house, built and dedicated to him. Will you remember that? 
THE YOUTH. Yes. 

the mother. Many years ago, when the Master was a boy, 
he went to church. It was his Father’s house, he said. This is 
your Father’s house. Its people may not always live uprightly, 
there may be things here to make you doubtful and perplexed, 
but the church will be what you make it. It will be as great as 
your greatest dream or as small as your smallest thought. 


Days to Come 191 

the youth. Yes, mother. Tell me, what are those figures 
standing there beside the altar? 

the mother. Figures? I see nothing. 
the youth. They are dark and tall. They stand motion¬ 
less. 

the mother. Some say they have seen visions. ... I come 
here daily and light the candles on the altar; when I return they 
have been snuffed out. What do you see? 
the youth. Listen! 

first figure. What of the churches’ youth? What will 
they answer when the world says, “ Show us your God ”? 

second figure. They, too, have wandered far afield and 
find belief of little use. 

the mother. What do you hear? 

the youth. I heard the figures speak and one said, “ What 
of the youth? What will they answer when the world says, 
6 Show us your God ’? ” 

the mother. Perhaps these are merely thoughts making 
themselves articulate. You will hear them always. . . . Show 
us your God? Well, let that be your task! Rebuild the altars 
of your fathers and bring back the glory that belonged to Chris¬ 
tendom ! 

the youth. Men have suffered, haven’t they? to bring us 
our faith. 

the mother (relighting some of the candles). And men 
have died for it. Still some do not think religion challenging. 
Some do not think it adventurous. Some feel it has no vigor. 
But it is the most powerful thing in life. And you will be the 
one to bring it back to men! 

the youth. Then I must prepare myself. I must come here 
often and listen to these figures. I must learn what we need. I 
must be reminded of what men have lost. 

the mother. The life beautiful has been lost. But it is here, 
it will remake the world, and bring back brotherhood and peace. 
first figure. What of the cynicism into which the world is 


192 


Vesper Dramas 


plunged? What of the great wave of indifference toward church 
and creed? Can men still rise above all that? Can youth do 
anything in this great tragedy? 

THE YOUTH. Yes ! 

the mother. Why do you say that? 

the youth. I heard the figure ask if youth could bring men 
out of their indifference. If only every mother would bring her 
son here to this altar that he could hear the challenge! 

the mother. And if every son would come back to rebuild 
the altars where his father worshiped. How quickly the world 
would be transformed! 

the youth. How should I begin? 

the mother. First, by believing. Believe that true religion 
leads to the highest good. Experience will teach you that it lifts 
man from the dust and makes him walk truthfully and coura¬ 
geously. Walk thus, my son, and others will follow. 

the youth. But if religion does this, why do men ever neg¬ 
lect it? 

the mother. Have you not heard that some love darkness 
more than light? Many have no desire, others fear some sacri¬ 
fice, and others are groping, perplexed, waiting for a leader. 
That leader must be youth consecrated and youth enlightened. 
See how these candles burn again. So you must light men’s 
hearts. 

the youth. I’ll try. 

the mother. Make worship beautiful and it will prove en¬ 
riching. Kneel here before the altar. (The youth kneels. Far 
in the distance a choir is heard singing.) God made all things 
to be beautiful. Let men come here in reverence, hungering for 
beauty, leaving behind everything that is unclean. Have you 
not heard it said: 

“ Oh well for him whose will is strong! 

He suffers, but he cannot suffer wrong; 

For him nor moves the loud world’s random mock, 


Days to Come 


193 


Nor all calamity’s hugest waves confound; 

He is a promontory rock, 

That, compassed round with turbulent sound, 

In middle ocean meets the surging shock, 
Tempest-buffeted, citadel-crowned.” 
the youth. God make me strong, and worthy of the tasks 
that wait my hand. 

(The choir continues singing for a moment , then there is si¬ 
lence. The mother retreats a step into the shadows.) 

first figure. I wonder if he knows what he is asking. To 
bring men back to true Christianity will mean a struggle. 

second figure. But see how deeply the right use of a chapel 
stirs the heart. 

first figure. Let us press in upon him closer. {They ad¬ 
vance toward the youth and take their places very close to 
him.) Look out across America and see the scattered faiths — 
see discord and division — men walk like sheep without a shep¬ 
herd ; and you — you are but a youth. 

second figure. It is far easier to light candles than to light 
men’s hearts. Once a young man tried to bring men back to God 
and they led him out to Calvary. {The youth has risen.) 

the youth. But it is our task to make America’s churches 
great! 

first figure. Give that task to bolder hands. 
second figure. What do you know of creeds or doctrines? 
What answers will you give to skeptics? What will you say to 
those who mock at faith? 

first figure. See how small you really are! 
the youth. Youth will find a way! 

first figure {angrily). You speak boldly because you are 
in the chapel and your mother is near. Wait until you get out¬ 
side and the air of the street strikes your face. Wait until the 
world swallows you. Wait until men laugh and hold you up to 
ridicule. 


194 


Vesper Dramas 


second figure ( laying a hand on the youth). Some will lay 
their hands on you like this and cry, “Fanatic!” “Chris¬ 
tian ! ” Think of that day! 

first figure. And others will go on as before. . . . Do you 
owe America this much? 

the youth (faltering). I owe God everything. 
first figure ( laying his hand on him). See, you are afraid! 
No wonder! It will take a revolution, not a vision, to make men 
stop and think of God! 

second figure. Go back to your home! Forget the chal¬ 
lenge that has come to you. 

first figure. Let someone else first put his hand to this 
task. Turn back, youth! 

first and second figures. Turn back! 
the youth ( freeing himself from them). No ! (He stands , 

defiant, but fearful, facing the figures.) 
the mother ( coming to him). What is it? 
the youth. They laid hold on me and told me to turn back ! 
the mother. You heard that? 

the youth. They were close upon me and shut out the light. 

the mother. Do not be afraid. 

the youth. I wonder if I can do anything. . . . 

the mother. You are my son ! 

the youth. But am I not small — and alone? 

{The visitor, a commanding figure in white, appears.) 
the mother. Who are you? 

the visitor. I am the spirit of those who have believed, the 
spirit of those who dared in the past what youth must dare in 
the present. I am the memory of the faithful upon whose ideals 
our churches and our nation have been built. 
the mother. You are more than welcome. 
the visitor. I have come to give my hand to youth. I have 
come to banish thoughts that would hold youth back from his 
endeavor. ( During the following lines the two figures gradu- 


Days to Come 


195 


ally withdraw and disappear.) We, too, in our age, were often 
perplexed and seemingly defeated. But now we know that our 
efforts were not in vain. Now we know that our visions and our 
deeds still move silently throughout America and keep her se¬ 
cure. 

the youth. Then you will help me? If I can feel that I 
am not alone, that I have the memory of the past and the vision 
of the future to help me — 

the visitor. Here! ( He extends his hand. The youth 
takes it firmly.) I will never forsake you. Therefore, take 
heart! You will often be appalled at the pettiness of man’s 
dreams. You will see how he is content with sand while fields rich 
for harvest wait. You will see how some have their little toys of 
wealth and power and ask no more. But everywhere there are 
those who long to drink of the deeper life, who dare look up to 
God. 

the mother. Pray that my son may be like one of them! 
I, too, will walk beside him. 

the visitor. There have always been those who have reached 
beyond creeds for a religion that would prove enriching in the 
present day. There have always been those not content with 
being men, but eager to be masters. There have been those in 
every ager who sought something to love, something to do, and 
something for which to hope. 

the youth. And one day, perhaps, all youths of Christen¬ 
dom will join hands and go forward in that thought. And out 
of it will grow a common work, a common hope, and an allegiance 
to one Father — God. 

(A cross flames above the altar. The trio turns and kneels 
before it. The choir is heard nearer than before. The lights 
fade out.) 


196 


Vesper Dramas 


SUGGESTED WORSHIP PROGRAM 

Organ Prelude: “ Pilgrim’s Progress ” (III) Austin 
Invocation 

Dear Father, we who look to the future ask for thy 
guidance. A thousand years in thy sight are but as yester¬ 
day when it is past. From the wisdom of ages past help us 
to shape our future. Give us eyes and hearts of stability 
in a day of turmoil and conflict. Temper our ambition 
with the peace which comes from above. Amen. 

— Ernest W. Shurtleff 

Hymn : “ Lead on, O King Eternal ” 

Responsive Reading 
Leader: 

Jesus calls us o’er the tumult 
Of our life’s wild, restless sea; 

Day by day his sweet voice soundeth, 

Saying, “ Christian, follow me.” 

Congregation: If any man would come after me, let him 
deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 
For whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, the same 
shall find it. 

Leader: 

Jesus calls us, from the worship 
Of the vain world’s golden store, 

From each idol that would keep us, 

Saying, “ Christian, love me more.” 
Congregation: Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon 
earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where 
thieves break through and steal; but lay up for your¬ 
selves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust 


Days to Come 


197 


doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through 
nor steal; for where your treasure is, there is your heart 
also. 

Leader: 

In our joys and in our sorrows, 

Days of toil and hours of ease, 

Still he calls in cares and pleasures, 

“ Christian, love me more than these.” 
Congregation: Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of 
the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the 
oven, shall he not much more clothe you, 0 ye of little 
faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall 
we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall 
we be clothed? For your heavenly Father knoweth that 
ye have need of all these things. 

Leader: 

Jesus calls us. By thy mercies, 

Saviour, may we hear thy call, 

Give our hearts to thine obedience, 

Serve and love thee best of all. 

— Arr. by Cecil F. Alexander 

The Lord’s Prayer, in unison 
Choir Response 

Offertory Solo : “ Today if Ye will Hear my Voice ” Rogers 
Scripture Lesson: Matt. 19:16-30 
Hymn : “ Truehearted, Wholehearted ” Havergal 
Presentation of the Drama 

Benediction, to be pronounced as the altar cross is illumi¬ 
nated: 

And now may the beauty of great art, the inspiration of 
noble thought, and the ecstasy of Christian vision remain 
a part of your lives. Amen. 

— Neil Crawford 

Organ Postlude : “ Recessional 99 Coerne 


286 361 


f 


















. 
























































































































































































*' 
























































* 
















































































































v 

V 


4 


























y * Y-*V .V 7 ,»*. <\V y « ; o, A> A/ « * fLf + 

** °* > v /<??) , ^. >. v 


«* ^> A^» * 

° : 
A'V • 


0 ^ .<£ 
r vP <? 

; aV^> 

•/ f % 

^ c° ° . 4 * 

? J 0 ^. V 




4 O■ 

<2? 

K cv % 

% * 

**fZf+ c\ <9 

«" *£v x'P' * 

' & * 
r vP V 



• v< v : 

* w &, ° 

_ -N -CL V <£»- 

* —V S /*. v Y ~ 

A, * * 

% ++ <? ..;' 3 

”5^ . V * J « ^ 

- -^. 0 < '* ^ 



4 O. 

/Q? «<* 

a vw*,* / o. *, 

^ .*•<»„ <> ^ cS 4f r O 


>° '^, 




a-* ; 

* A > • 

~ 4 /v v^ * 

'•.»•■ a <, ♦-tt.* 

/ < 

* 

o , 


* k a ■ 4 v v * "9ai//i>^y ■* <L’ r ' <> * 

, .^y a a “*w o 40 '\ / S 

.*•»- ^> V ^V/-* c\, A~ ,'*<v V- 

»■*■*••• ^ A A 4 ®- ^ A • 

r '§mm,\ va : 

* aV**» -* « A ^ o 






o 

‘ f > '\. \ 

' jf A <* ‘•'T'.’i 4 A v 

0^ *^0 o oNo -»^ ^ QV 4 .i/* f 

■%.« c °»u a' 1 ^.« 0 



o v 



° ^ ■%. 

Vj * O K P ^ *0 

s* V'^ ^cv ,9^ ^ 

% A* / 

«■ °4>9 S *5 ,* VA 



x > s • * > 

v 



O * * 



*0 V 


» aV'*^ 

'«»• * * A * 

AT O^rl 0 * ^ 

1 ,11/ ♦ ^^VCV * - 

<N v 

*o 0 



^ *' 1 a v °^ ° * 0 A 0 

*■ «" Tx ► 

* <£ ♦ 
r VV * 

* " 

% -Cr ^ 'o. * * A <* ^ 

0 ° °o A v < 

r XsffiJ; f’°* i- 0 ^ “fesmav ».> 

0 ■% ?jW > *‘>*. A O, o 0 -r^T' ^ c 

V * < ’ A .. * • • 0 *° <\ " ’ A 









> V' .« 

• ^ A ♦ 

• A V * 

,* A ^ °. 



*<..** A \d -o. * - A v ^.. * s ,6 ^ ^®*** 









o_ 


°4. *' 

♦ 

vj^ ( 0 

c\ 




**0 
*q 


•/ ++ ^ 
, c° °o w* , 





4 ’ 0 ^ 0 A 0 V 

vv* c* ,<y ,> 




v*y 




*IV ° 

V ^ °. 


>. f * A <* *'TT** <- -. 

A o 0 N ° * '<£>> >0^ fc • •■ f * /» O 


«- ^vr / 

” o' . 

; 4 °* *. 

*• - ^ o - 

> ^ aO- -<*° 

r W :, ,° 

» aV'A, j 1 « 





A <!U ' .. * 

& ^ C c 

«»* 7i . v 

*. +* o^ 


• * 1 <y ~*u 

» * O, O 1/ *i^L% C\ 

°. +«# 


> ^ 

* A CL 



* « 



*q 



A* * 

,Y * 

J'V <# 

♦ & % \ 

\_ r 4 * • * <v 

A v o o M «* <^v Q v i» a „ C3 

*vs^\ ^ vl c, v 



^q* 


V* V ° 

^ *y ^ 0 

* <Cr &, 

- l * • - *^Q 

c° *W^\ * * . 

- *oy ° 

°i. ' * » V• ** A°° \ .. 

'•bf 'lMmi,\ ^ : 

, «.>> ^ ° 

* A /, ' rf • • s ’ a g S* 

A % C° ,C^ °o 4 - 

.v^av t ;£&&• ^v* 




>° ^° ^ 

'♦.Vo 0 " <>Cp ^ 

4* 9 






•/ ^ ^ *. 



o • A 



; ^ol 



'A/^> V‘^>° \‘^*V ..^ 

* 4 » s • • ^ A> Q i * Oj ^ Y» S * 

* S+. ** - V t S xA*/Oss. ^ *6 .A"' t ' <3 • ..-n A. 




aV**> 

* ^ ^ • 




V- O *OVT* % '••* 

^ ,o‘ a^*, ° 0 

■ « < * 





i i : ' ■ <, 

f : ’ , ‘ ' ' r < > j m 1 * < . ' w 
) N f l ; ' ; ■ t 

!! > i / ; v •; i , , , •; ;. ! 1 1 

i i ,■ • i■;•:.} ■:>{ 

- 1 SM' ' \ i • . * , 

- ij? 

' , • V ) l • 1 « I I , • , I . . . • 

:: r>- i ■ • ■ • :i. •. 1 ■ :> 

j i• ! • ; {‘ 1 • - i ' : .i • 

* > ' < > '• s i •i?>« ' • 

o;';: •; 

; 1 

* > , , 11 ■ . * v : f < • * « i 

f \ 1 , J • * ) • * * • 

4;), !' i ;; i i ; ■ 

■>, i , i : i » > « . ■ • t • < 

{ * \ ■ > ( . ■ ‘ , / •; ; 

\ . I f ; 1 * l 

j ) ■' 5 ' 'i, V ‘ 

; : t'i ‘ ! ^> V. : : . 


LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 


0 013 346 080 9 


































































